Clinical Presentations, Outcomes, and Predictors of Mortality in Rat Poisoning: A Retrospective Study

This retrospective study, titled "Clinical Presentations, Outcomes, and Predictors of Mortality in Rat Poisoning," aims to analyze medical records from 2020 to 2024 to describe the clinical presentations of rat poisoning and identify factors predicting mortality. Rat poisoning, particularly from toxic agents like yellow phosphorus and paraquat, poses a significant health risk due to its high toxicity, leading to severe complications such as fulminant hepatic failure and multi-organ dysfunction, with mortality rates ranging from 20% to 75%. The study will include patients diagnosed with rat poisoning caused by yellow phosphorus, zinc phosphide, and 4-coumarin derivatives, while excluding other types of rodenticides. Data on demographics, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, treatments, and outcomes will be extracted from hospital records using a digital data collection tool. Statistical analysis will involve descriptive statistics and logistic regression to identify predictors of mortality. Ethical approval will be sought, with a waiver of informed consent due to the retrospective, anonymized nature of the data. The findings are expected to enhance understanding of clinical patterns, improve risk stratification, and guide more effective management strategies for rat poisoning, particularly in resource-limited settings.