Sodium Hypochlorite Poisoning At the University Of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Sodium hypochlorite (berekina in Amharic) is a transparent yellow solution which is liquid at room temperature. It is commonly found in bleach, water purifiers, and cleaning products. Accidental poisoning with detergents can pose a significant health risk. This is the first study on the incidence of sodium hypochlorite poisoning in Ethiopia as there has been no such report so far to the best of my knowledge. This study, I hope, will fill the gap of understanding and show the incidence, factors, and the management of such poisoning at the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of all sodium hypochlorite poisoning cases admitted and managed in the Emergency Department of the University of Gondar Hospital, from 2010 to 2014. Data was analyzed using SPSS 20.

Result: Sodium hypochlorite poisoning accounted for 40.6% of all poisoning seen in the emergency room. Out of the 95 cases studied, 63 (66.32 %) consisted of women. The male to female ratio was 1:1.97. The majority of these patients, (52.63%) were in the 20-29 years of age category, and the number cases dropped as age increased. The study showed that 86 (90.53 %) of the cases were suicidal acts, whereby sodium hypochlorite was intentionally consumed. Only 9 (9.47 %) of the cases happened unintentionally. In 78.95% of the cases the poison was obtained from the patients houses exacerbated due to improper storage, owing to lack of awareness of their hazards.  The other 15.79% of the poison was procured from stores, and the remaining 5.26% from unrecorded sources.

Conclusion: The majority of the adult cases of sodium hypochlorite poisoning were intentional suicide attempts. Youth education regarding the risk of intentional poisoning, increasing awareness about safety requirements inside the home may be useful to reduce the incidence of poisoning. The development of practice by setting guidelines or increasing awareness relating to prescriptions regarding the management of sodium hypochlorite poisoning is also recommended.