Acute caffeine ingestion: clinical features in patients attending the emergency department and Scottish poison centre enquiries between 2000 and 2008.

Background And Aims: Little information is available regarding the healthcare burden associated with deliberate caffeine ingestion. The present study sought to establish the impact of caffeine ingestion on hospital attendances and Poisons Centre enquiries in Scotland.

Methods: Retrospective analyses of clinical data from patients attending the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh after acute caffeine ingestion, and TOXBASE enquiries from Scotland regarding caffeine poisoning between 2000-2008 inclusive. Cochran-Armitage trend tests were used to evaluate changes in annual admissions and TOXBASE enquiries.

Results: There were 43 hospital attendances due to deliberate caffeine ingestion, representing 0.2% of all poisoning cases. The median (interquartile range) stated dose was 1040 mg (600-1500 mg). Minor gastrointestinal symptoms were common, and no patient developed features of severe toxicity. There were 1418 enquiries to TOXBASE concerning caffeine poisoning, representing 0.2% of all poisoning enquiries from Scotland. The proportions of hospital admissions and TOXBASE enquiries due to caffeine ingestion have remained constant.

Conclusion: Caffeine ingestion is uncommon, and results in only a small number of hospital attendances and Poisons Centre enquiries. In contrast to patterns reported elsewhere, the prevalence of caffeine abuse has not increased in Scotland over recent years.