%0 Journal Article
%T Epidemiology of intentional self-poisoning in rural Sri Lanka
%J British journal of psychiatry
%D 2005
%A Eddleston, Michael
%A Gunnell, David
%A Karunaratne, Ayanthi
%A de Silva, Damani
%A Sheriff, M. H. R.
%A Buckley, Nicholas A.
%V 187
%N 
%P 583-584
%X We investigated the epidemiology of intentional self-poisoning in rural Sri Lanka by prospectively recording 2189 admissions to two secondary hospitals. Many patients were young (median age 25 years), male (57%) and used pesticides (49%). Of the 198 who died,156 were men (case fatality 12.4%) and 42 were women (4.5%). Over half of female deaths were in those under 25 years old; male deaths were spread more evenly across age groups. Oleander and paraquat caused 74% of deaths in people under 25 years old; thereafter organophosphorous pesticides caused many deaths. Although the age pattern of self-poisoning was similar to that of industrialised countries, case fatality was more than 15 times higher and the pattern of fatal self-poisoning different.
%G 
%I Royal College of Psychiatry
%@ 0007-1250
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.187.6.583