Indian Journal of Clinical Medicine

We assessed the applicability of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the QT interval (QTc) to predicting outcomes in patients with organophosphate (OP) poisoning. In the hospital setting, QTc and GCS were monitored in each patient at admission. Patients with respiratory failure were compared to patients without these complications, and mortality was compared between groups. We found that the group with complications had a significantly longer QTc and a lower GCS score, a higher number of intubations, and worse outcomes (P < 0.05). GCS score and QTc have been shown to be equally good in predicting respiratory failure and hospital mortality in patients with OP poisoning. These results suggest that during initial out-of-hospital care of patients with OP poisoning, it is essential to monitor the QTc and the GCS score. The simplicity and promptness of these methods will allow providers to perform early and effective triage.