Introduction: The objective of the study was to identify possible prognostic factors in patients with salicylic poisoning.
Material and methods: A chart review on 53 patients with salicylic poisoning was performed. Clinical and biochemical data were registered for all patients with a serum level of salicylic acid higher than or equal to 2 mmol/l in the 2004-2008 period. The patients were divided into groups according to the outcome of the poisoning. A complicated outcome was defined as: hospital stay > 48 hours, dialysis, persisting complications at discharge or death.
Results: In the group with complicated outcome, chronic poisoning (43% versus 13%, p = 0.02) and medical diseases (24% versus 9%, p = 0.07) were more prevalent and the proportion of elderly (55 years versus 38 years, p = 0.003) and alcoholics (48% vs. 25%, p = 0.09) were higher. The mortality was low, with only one fatality among the acutely poisoned and none among the chronically poisoned. Neurological symptoms (somnolence and confusion) were the only symptoms which differed significantly between the two groups (67% versus 28%, p = 0.006), as well as being the only variable independently emerging as a risk factor in the multivariate logistic regression analysis with an odds ratio of 6.6 (95% confidence interval: 1.5-28.9) for a complicated outcome. A significantly lower level of bicarbonate was seen in the group with complicated outcome. Among the other biochemical data, only haemoglobin and certain liver enzymes differed between the two groups, probably due to pre-existing differences.
Conclusion: Mortality after salicylic poisoning is low. Chronic poisonings, old age or concurrent medical diseases are associated with a complicated outcome. If neurological symptoms or low standard-HCO3- are present, the prognosis is poor.