Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Enteral Correction Program for Acute Poisoning with Psychopharmacological Drugs and Corrosive Substances in Individuals Over 60 Years of Age

INTRODUCTION Acute poisoning (AP) of chemical etiology is one of the leading problems, including among the elderly and senile population. Traditional approaches to the treatment of AP, including the use of antidotes, infusion therapy and extracorporeal detoxification methods, may not always be effective in elderly patients due to the characteristics of their body. In this regard, the search for safe and effective treatment methods adapted to the characteristics of the body of elderly people is becoming a priority. AIM OF STUDY To evaluate the effectiveness of the enteral correction program (ECP) in elderly and senile individuals with AP with psychopharmacological drugs (PPD) and corrosive substances (CS). MATERIAL AND METHODS A prospective clinical study with a retrospective comparison group, which included 74 elderly and senile patients who were treated in the Department of Occupational Health and Somatopsychiatric Disorders at the N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine in 2022–2023. Patients in the study group received ECP as part of the complex treatment, while in the comparison group they received standard treatment. The endpoints were: incidence of complications, incidence of death, length of stay in intensive care, and length of hospital treatment. RESULTS The use of ECP contributed to a 1.6-fold reduction in the duration of treatment in the intensive care unit and hospital for acute poisoning with PPD (p=0.043, statistically significant) and for acute poisoning with CS (p=0.028, statistically significant). When using intestinal lavage as part of ECP, a 10% reduction in the incidence of pneumonia was found for AP PPD and 11.8% reduction for CS poisoning. The use of ECP in complex treatment resulted in a 2.1-fold reduction in mortality for PPD poisoning and a 1.7-fold reduction for CS poisoning. CONCLUSION Inclusion of the enteral correction program to treatment of acute poisoning with psychopharmacological drugs and corrosive substances in people over 60 years of age leads to improvement of treatment efficacy criteria. However, further studies are required to confirm the findings and determine optimal treatment protocols for this category of patients.