Exogenous poisoning by rodenticides reported in Brazil between 2008 and 2022

Abstract

Objectives: to evaluate notifications of exogenous poisoning by rodenticides in Brazil between 2008 and 2022. Methods: an ecological time-series study was carried out, evaluating the annual number of notifications in the last 15 years, considering the cases confirmed by the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Temporal tendency and incidence ratios before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were examined at a 5% significance level. Results: between 2008 and 2022, 48,448 notifications of exogenous poisoning by rodenticides were reported. The temporal tendency was established as stationary over the last 15 years (p = 0.285) but became significantly increasing when removing the COVID-19 pandemic years (p = 0.001; VPA = 5.4% [95%CI = 2 .1, 8.6). In addition, when compared to the pre-pandemic period, the incidence of notifications was 34% lower (IRR = 0.66 [CI95% = 0.59, 0.73]) in the first and 28% lower (IRR = 0,72 [CI95% = 0.65, 0.79]) in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. At last, it was observed that 82.2% of the circumstances were suicide attempts, 89.4% were acute-single exposures, and most (91.1%) evolved to cure without sequelae. Conclusion: it was possible to conclude that exogenous poisoning by rodenticides persists as a Public Health problem in Brazil.