Contacts with out-of-hours services because of poisonings in Norway 2006 - 15.

Background: Poisonings constitute a serious health problem in Norway. The objective of the study was to analyse cases of poisoning reported to out-of-hours services and any changes that may have occurred over a ten-year period.

Material And Method: The material consists of reimbursement claims from all doctors on out-of-hours duty in Norway in the period 2006 – 15. Poisonings were defined as ICPC diagnostic codes A84 (poisoning by medical agent), A86 (toxic effect non-medicinal substance) or P16 (acute alcohol abuse).

Results: The contact rate due to poisonings increased from 221 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2006 to 297 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2015. For the age group 1 – 2 years, the contact rate per 100 000 inhabitants dropped from 469 to 223, for the age group 15 – 25 it rose from 523 to 719, and for the age group 53 – 59 it rose from 178 to 339. The highest contact rate was found among women aged 15 – 25 (785 per 100 000 inhabitants). This group also had the highest contact rate caused by poisoning by a medical agent (238 per 100 000 inhabitants). In the age group 15 – 25 years, altogether 63% of the poisonings occurred during the night.

Interpretation: The frequency of contact with out-of-hours services because of poisoning is generally increasing, although a strong decline is observed among small children. Adolescents, and young women in particular, stand out in suffering frequent cases of poisoning.