Fitchett, Margaret Penelope2025-03-242022-04Fitchett, Margaret Penelope. (2022). Adequacy of Availability of Antidotes for Common and Critical Drug Poisonings and Doctors’ Perspectives Thereof: A Study in Teaching Hospitals in the Southern Gauteng City-Region. [Masters dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/44421https://hdl.handle.net/10539/44421A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in Emergency Medicine, to the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2022.Background: Drug poisoning is an important area of study in South Africa (SA) as a treatable cause of mortality. While research has been conducted on poisoning, there is a paucity of literature on the availability of antidotes in SA. Objectives: To assess the availability of antidotes in selected teaching hospitals in the Southern Gauteng City-Region and to explore doctors’ experiences of antidote supply. Methods: A data sheet assessing the availability of antidotes in the Emergency Departments (EDs) and pharmacies was completed in person at each of the teaching hospitals. A questionnaire exploring experiences of antidote supply was distributed to 126 doctors working in the EDs. Results: N-acetylcysteine, atropine, diazepam, clonazepam, sodium bicarbonate, vitamin K, calcium gluconate, naloxone, ethanol and pyridoxine were present in all EDs. Doctors reported organophosphate poisoning and paracetamol overdose as the most common drug poisonings (81.7% and 14.3% of 126 respondents respectively). Most doctors experienced no supply issues for N-acetylcysteine, calcium gluconate, sodium bicarbonate or pyridoxine (85.7%, 83.3%, 87.3% and 75.4% of 126 respondents respectively). Conclusion: The antidotes to the most common poisonings reported by doctors were present in all EDs. However, concerns were raised about consistency of supply which will be an important avenue for further research.en©2022 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.AntidotesPoisoningOrganophosphateParacetamolEmergency DepartmentPharmacyUCTDDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgSDG-3: Good health and well-beingSDG-4: Quality education