The objective of this study was to evaluate characteristics of the adult poisoned patient population at a university hospital in the People's Republic of China. A prospective observational study was conducted at the Department of Emergency Medicine, China Medical University and included all poisoning cases presenting to the Emergency Department during a one year period. Data collection forms were designed and placed in the Emergency Department. Data were recorded by Emergency Department staff for all poisoned patients presenting during the study period (March 1, 1994 to February 28, 1995). Six hundred ninety-eight poisoned patients were collected in this study. Sedative/hypnotic agents (27.9%) were involved most commonly. The second most frequent toxicologic emergency was carbon monoxide (19%). Food poisoning was the third most common cause of poisoning (5.5%) and was equal to pesticide poisoning. The most common route of exposure was ingestion (71%). Twelve percent of the patients were admitted and 2.4% died. This first epidemiological report of adult poisoning from the People's Republic of China offers emergency physicians and toxicologists a preliminary understanding of the most common toxicologic problems seen in adults in a university hospital in China, and will aid in improving the delivery of emergency care to poisoned patients in the People's Republic of China.