Pesticide poisonings in South Korea: Findings from the National Hospital Discharge Survey 2004-2006

Objectives: Pesticide poisoning stands as a major public health issue worldwide. The objective of this study was to examine the epidemiologic characteristics of pesticide-related hospitalizations in South Korea. Methods: Data from the Korea National Hospital Discharge Survey were analyzed to describe the epidemiologic characteristics of pesticide poisoning among hospitalized patients from 2004 through 2006. Pesticide-related hospitalizations were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes. National estimates of pesticide-related hospitalizations were calculated using sampling weights for number of hospitalizations. Results: A total of 25,982 pesticide-related hospitalizations were estimated during the years 20042006, yielding an average annual pesticide-related hospitalization rate of 17.8 per 100,000 population in South Korea. Age-specific rates for pesticide-related hospitalization increased with age, with the highest rate noted among those aged 70 or above. The majority of pesticide-related hospitalization was cases of intentional poisoning in rural areas. Seasonal variation in the rate was observed, with summer being the highest among both men and women. Conclusions: Pesticide-related hospitalization is prevalent and demonstrates demographic and seasonal and regional variations. More effective strategies to reduce pesticide-related hospitalizations are required in South Korea.