- a prospective observational cohort study
Conclusions
Self-discharge was frequent among patients treated for acute poisoning by substances of abuse and was an independent risk factor for repeated poisoning. Short-time mortality was twice as high among self-discharging patients, though this increase was not statistically significant. Still, the increased risk of repetition marks self-discharging patients as a vulnerable group who might benefit from targeted post-discharge follow-up measures. Emergency services should give special attention to patients self-discharging during treatment for acute poisoning, for instance by way of post-discharge telephone contact or home visits from outreach services.