Alcohol Bottles Research Articles

To err is human: A case-based review of cognitive bias and its role in clinical decision making

To err is human: A case-based review of cognitive bias and its role in clinical decision making

The glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist Exendin-4 decreases relapse-like drinking in socially housed mice

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a gut peptide that regulates food intake and glucose metabolism. GLP-1 is also produced and released in the brain, and GLP-1 receptors are expressed in brain regions important for alcohol and drug reward, and for the development of addiction. GLP-1 receptor agonists can decrease alcohol intake acutely in rodents. However, alcohol use disorder is a chronic condition that requires treatments to be effective in promoting abstinence from excessive alcohol consumption over time. Here, we assessed the effect of daily treatment with the GLP-1 receptor agonist Exendin-4 in an assay of relapse-like drinking in socially housed mice. Male C57BL/6NTac mice were allowed continuous access to alcohol without tastant in the home cage for 37days. Then, alcohol bottles were removed and Exendin-4 (1.5μg/kg/day) or saline was administered subcutaneously for 8days during alcohol deprivation. Treatment continued for 8 additional days after reintroducing access to alcohol. A high-precision automated fluid consumption system was used to monitor intake of alcohol and water, drinking kinetics, and locomotor activity. Exendin-4 prevented the deprivation-induced increase in alcohol intake observed in control mice, without significantly affecting total fluid intake, body weight, or locomotor activity. The reduced alcohol intake was caused by a protracted latency to the first drink of alcohol and a reduced number of drinking bouts, while bout size and duration were not affected. The effect was maintained undiminished throughout the treatment period. These findings support the possible use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of alcohol use disorder.

A man with ischemic heart disease after consuming alcohol found collapsed while eating: a café coronary and intoxication. Which cause preceded the others?

Introduction Complete and abrupt upper airway obstruction by a bolus of food, with sudden onset of symptoms simulating acute myocardial infarction was described as ‘Cafe coronary’ in early 60s. Victims are speechless and breathless; thus, without assistance (e.g.Heimlich manoeuvre) they will die. A typical ‘cafe coronary’ was an obese middle aged man dying, while eating having a chest pain, with eye witness accounts of ‘choking on a piece of meat’ which was hurriedly eaten. Though various theories were postulated at that time regarding the mechanism, later studies showed that multiple factors could be associated. We report a death of an alcoholic with a history of ischemic heart disease found with a bolus of food lodged at the pharynx and larynx. Case Report 51 year-old male after having 1½ bottles of illicit liquor, quarreled with the wife and left home, was found dead two (2) hours later in a partly built house. The examination of the scene revealed half a bottle of alcohol, a partly consumed loaf of bread, a beef curry and a roasted chicken thigh beside. Autopsy revealed obstruction of the mid larynx with a piece of bread, mild laryngeal oedema, myocardial fibrosis, 80% narrowing of the anterior descending artery and a liquor smell from stomach. The toxicological screening revealed 200mg/dlethyl alcohol in the blood, while histology revealed fibrosis of the myocardium. Conclusion Although obstruction of the airway with a food bolus was the apparent cause of death at autopsy, the high blood alcohol level with myocardial fibrosis pauses questions regarding the mechanism of death i.e. which caused which? Therefore, a forensic pathologist should not be hurried to arrive at conclusions during the autopsy without further investigations.

Alcohol Warning Label Perceptions: Do Warning Sizes and Plain Packaging Matter?

There is a dearth of research on the effectiveness of stringent alcohol warning labels. Our experiment tested whether increasing the size of an alcohol health warning lowers product-based ratings. We examined whether plain packaging lowers ratings of alcohol products and the consumers who use them, increases ratings of bottle "boringness," and enhances warning recognition compared with branded packaging. A total of 440 adults (51.7% female) viewed one of three warning sizes (50%, 75%, or 90% of label surface) on either a plain or branded bottle of distilled spirits, wine, and beer. Participants also rated alcohol bottles on product-based (assessing the product itself), consumer-based (assessing perceptions of consumers of the product), and bottle boringness ratings, and then attempted to recognize the correct warning out of four choices. As expected, the size of warning labels lowered product-based ratings. Similarly, plain packaging lowered product-based and consumer-based ratings and increased bottle boringness but only for wine bottles. Further, plain packaging increased the odds of warning recognition on bottles of distilled spirits. This study shows that plain packaging and warning size (similar to the graphic warnings on cigarette packages) affect perceptions about alcohol bottles. It also shows that plain packaging increases the likelihood for correct health warning recognition, which builds the case for alcohol warning and packaging research and policy.

Activation of Melatonin Receptors Reduces Relapse-Like Alcohol Consumption.

Melatonin is an endogenous synchronizer of biological rhythms and a modulator of physiological functions and behaviors of all mammals. Reduced levels of melatonin and a delay of its nocturnal peak concentration have been found in alcohol-dependent patients and rats. Here we investigated whether the melatonergic system is a novel target to treat alcohol addiction. Male Wistar rats were subjected to long-term voluntary alcohol consumption with repeated abstinence phases. Circadian drinking rhythmicity and patterns were registered with high temporal resolution by a drinkometer system and analyzed by Fourier analysis. We examined potential antirelapse effect of the novel antidepressant drug agomelatine. Given that agomelatine is a potent MT1 and MT2 receptor agonist and a 5-HT2C antagonist we also tested the effects of melatonin itself and the 5-HT2C antagonist SB242084. All drugs reduced relapse-like drinking. Agomelatine and melatonin administered at the end of the light phase led to very similar changes on all measures of the post-abstinence drinking behavior, suggesting that effects of agomelatine on relapse-like behavior are mostly driven by its melatonergic activity. Both drugs caused a clear phase advance in the diurnal drinking pattern when compared with the control vehicle-treated group and a reduced frequency of approaches to alcohol bottles. Melatonin given at the onset of the light phase had no effect on the circadian phase and very small effects on alcohol consumption. We conclude that targeting the melatonergic system in alcohol-dependent individuals can induce a circadian phase advance, which may restore normal sleep architecture and reduce relapse behavior.

The effect of gender and alcohol placement in the processing of sexual intent.

Alcohol consumption in women is known to be perceived by men as signalling sexual intent. However, it is unclear whether such assumptions extend to the simple presence of alcohol. The present study investigated the association between gender and alcohol placement on processing of sexual intent. One hundred and forty-seven sexually experienced male and female participants were shown a brief video of a social interaction between a man and woman depicted with a bottle of water or alcohol. Participants were then asked to rate the female target on sexual intent. Men inferred greater sexual intent compared to women in the female target when she was depicted with alcohol as compared to water. Contrary to previous research, personality traits did not contribute to perceptions of sexual intent. However, state (sexual-related) variables such as likely sexual relationship between targets and attractiveness of the female target, did increase the level of sexual intent processed. These findings suggest that alcohol may be a cue used by men in their social environment to process sexual intent. The association of a woman with alcohol suggesting sexual intent could have potential implications for advertising practice which influences sexual beliefs toward women.

A Model of Alcohol Drinking under an Intermittent Access Schedule Using Group-Housed Mice

Here, we describe a new model of voluntary alcohol drinking by group-housed mice. The model employs sensor-equipped cages that track the behaviors of the individual animals via implanted radio chips. After the animals were allowed intermittent access to alcohol (three 24 h intervals every week) for 4 weeks, the proportions of licks directed toward bottles containing alcohol were 50.9% and 39.6% for the male and female mice, respectively. We used three approaches (i.e., quinine adulteration, a progressive ratio schedule and a schedule involving a risk of punishment) to test for symptoms of compulsive alcohol drinking. The addition of 0.01% quinine to the alcohol solution did not significantly affect intake, but 0.03% quinine induced a greater than 5-fold reduction in the number of licks on the alcohol bottles. When the animals were required to perform increasing numbers of instrumental responses to obtain access to the bottle with alcohol (i.e., a progressive ratio schedule), they frequently reached a maximum of 21 responses irrespective of the available reward. Although the mice rarely achieved higher response criteria, the number of attempts was ∼10 times greater in case of alcohol than water. We have developed an approach for mapping social interactions among animals that is based on analysis of the sequences of entries into the cage corners. This approach allowed us to identify the mice that followed other animals in non-random fashions. Approximately half of the mice displayed at least one interaction of this type. We have not yet found a clear correlation between imitative behavior and relative alcohol preference. In conclusion, the model we describe avoids the limitations associated with testing isolated animals and reliably leads to stable alcohol drinking. Therefore, this model may be well suited to screening for the effects of genetic mutations or pharmacological treatments on alcohol-induced behaviors.

Rhinovirus associated severe respiratory failure in immunocompetent adult patient.

Rhinovirus infection is typically associated with the common cold and has rarely been reported as a cause of severe pneumonia in immunocompetent adults. A 55-year-old previous healthy woman, who consumed half a bottle of alcohol daily, presented with respiratory failure after one week of upper respiratory infection symptoms. Radiography revealed bilateral, diffuse ground glass opacity with patchy consolidation in the whole lung field; bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis indicated that rhinovirus was the causative organism. After five days of conservative support, the symptoms and radiographic findings began to improve. We report this rare case of rhinovirus pneumonia in an otherwise healthy host along with a review of references.

수도권지역 고등학생의 흡연 및 음주실태와 구강자각증상과의 관련성

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to examine actual conditions of smoking and alcohol drinking behaviors among high school students, so that it could recognize possible harmful effects of smoking on oral health and could give positive motivations for students to quit smoking and drinking. Methods : This research was based on self-filling survey which 1,385 high school students in metropolitan area in Korea from September 5 to October 28, 2011. Surveyed data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, <TEX>${\chi}^2$</TEX>-test and logistic analysis using SPSS WIN 12.0 program and its signification level was 0.05. Results : 1. As for smoking rate and drinking rate, boy students accounted for 11.6% and 25.4%, thereby having been higher than girl students(p<.001). It was the highest in over 180 cm(16.0%, 35.0%, p<.001) for height, in 60-under 70 kg for weight(13.4%, 23.5%, p<.001), and in a case of profession for mother's job(13.8%, 28.4%, p<.005). 2. The perceived oral symptoms had relationship with the less than 10 cigarettes of smoke (OR=2.41; 95% CI:1.31-4.41), more than 11 cigarettes of smoke (OR=3.16; 95% CI:1.42-7.00) and more than 1 bottle of alcohol (OR=1.75; 95% CI:1.00-3.06). Conclusions : This result implies that adolescents' smoking and drinking have correlation with oral health status, which makes uncomfortable sense felt given chewing along with the pain in teeth and gum. Based on the above findings, a school or community needs to reinforce education for preventing smoking and drinking and to offer environment available for practicing anti-smoking and anti-drinking plan, in order to reduce adolescents' smoking and drinking.

El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote to You about Africa

In his wall hangings of sewn-together tops from alcohol bottles and other detritus, most of them made since 2002, El Anatsui has accomplished one of the very few genuine breakthroughs in contemporary art anywhere in the world today. This exhibition at Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, is his first major retrospective. It begins from poststudent work in the 1970s and includes work in a variety of mediums up to the present. Because of some highly problematic display decisions, however, a full sense of the artist’s journey is difficult to discern. The absence of certain well-known works, due to the reluctance of institutional lenders, further disappoints. It is to be hoped that, as the exhibition travels to other venues, these faults will be rectified.

The use of off-trade glass as a weapon in violent assaults by Young Offenders

This article aims to highlight the neglected issue of ‘glassing’ injury risk from off-trade alcohol bottles. The study participants included a survey of male Young Offenders (n=172) recruited during their induction into Scotland's only Young Offenders Institution in 2007 and an interview sample (n=30) recruited in the same way during 2008. A self-complete questionnaire enquired about respondent's drinking and offending. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to qualitatively investigate issues raised by the 2007 survey. The survey comprised more than a quarter of Scotland's male Young Offenders. Over 80 per cent had been drinking before their current offence. Approximately two-thirds reported using a weapon (80 per cent while under the influence of alcohol). After knives, bottles were their most often ‘used’ weapon. Unlike knives, bottles were seldom reported as being ‘carried’. Interviewees more often gave accounts of using bottles than any other potential weapon, suggesting that bottles may not be considered as a weapon (in the same way as knives), but simply happen to be omnipresent when alcohol-related violence occurs. On-trade glass was never mentioned during this research. There is a clear need to highlight the risks posed by off-trade alcohol glassware, and for this to be replaced with plastic containers where possible.

Outstripping Students Again

IN THE late 1990s, Safford Middle School, which is in a rural area of eastern Arizona, adopted a policy prohibiting the nonmedical use, possession, or sale of drugs on school property or at school events. The policy defines drugs as including not only controlled substances but also alcoholic beverages and prescription or over-the-counter drugs except with the permission of school authorities. A stimulus for adopting this policy was an incident in which a student brought a prescription drug to school and distributed it to classmates, one of whom became seriously ill and wound up being hospitalized. On 22 August 2003, the school held a dance to celebrate the beginning of the new academic year. During the dance, several staff members noticed unusually rowdy behavior and the smell of alcohol coming from a small group of students, including Savana, an honor-roll eighth-grader, and her friend Marissa. Later in the evening, staff members found a bottle of alcohol and a package of cigarettes in the girls' restroom. No official action was taken at that time. On 1 October 2003, another student at the school, whose name was Jordan, and his mother requested and participated in a meeting with the principal and vice principal. Jordan's mother explained that a few nights ago her son had become violent with her and was sick to his stomach, a result--according to Jordan--of his having taken some pills a classmate had given to him at school. Jordan reported that specific students had brought drugs and weapons to school. He identified Savana as having served alcohol to her classmates at a party she hosted at her home prior to the August dance. On 8 October 2003, Jordan asked to meet with the vice principal and handed him a white pill that he said Marissa had given to him. He also claimed that a group of students were planning to take pills at lunch. The vice principal took the pill to the school nurse, who identified it as ibuprofen 400 mg, a dosage available only by prescription. Based on this information, the vice principal went to Marissa's classroom to escort her to his office. As she stood up, he noticed a black planner lying on the empty desk next to her. He asked her whether the planner was hers, and she said no. He handed it to the teacher and promised to attempt to find the owner. Soon thereafter, the teacher discovered that the planner contained knives, lighters, a cigarette, and a permanent marker. He promptly conveyed this information to the vice principal. At the office, the vice principal, in the presence of Helen Romero, a female administrative assistant, asked Marissa to turn out her pockets and open her wallet. She complied, producing one blue pill, several white pills, and a razor blade. When asked about the blue pill, which the nurse subsequently identified as Naprosyn 200 mg, an over-the-counter drug used to treat pain and inflammation, Marissa said: I guess it slipped in when she gave me the IBU 400s. When the principal asked her, Who is she? Marissa identified Savana. Upon questioning about the planner, Marissa continued to deny ownership and similarly disclaimed knowledge of its contents. The vice principal then directed Romero to escort Marissa to the nurse's office and conduct a search of her clothing and person for more pills. At the nurse's office, Romero closed the door, which locked automatically, and asked the nurse to observe. Next, she instructed Marissa to 1) remove her shoes and socks, 2) lift up her shirt and pull out her bra band, and 3) take off her pants and pull out the elastic of her underwear. Marissa complied, and no further contraband was found. Meanwhile, the vice principal retrieved Savana from her classroom and escorted her to his office. After stressing the importance of telling the truth, he showed Savana the black planner, and she acknowledged that it was hers but claimed that she had loaned it to Marissa several days earlier to help her hide some things from her parents. …

Drinking Experiences of Women Alcoholics: A Feminist Approach

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experience of Korean women alcoholics from their perspectives using feminist approach. Methods: The data were collected by individual in-depth interviews with ten participants. Results : Four main themes were emerged from thematic content analyses; a) ‘the good girl’ b) "the emancipated “child”’ c) "the Hyung-Mo-Yang-Cheo (wise mother, good wife) hiding behind an alcohol bottle 5 and d) 6 the “shell” of womanhood 5 . Conclusion: These results showed that the gender norms rooted in the traditional family relationships interact with various individual needs, which was related to the motivation of drinking and the pattern of drinking behavior. The study suggested that drinking experiences among Korean women should be understood in the contexts of socio-cultural factors and a intervention program is developed to change Korean women's internalized gender norms.

Gasoline Permeation Resistance of Polypropylene, Polypropylene/Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol, Polypropylene/Modified Polyamide, and Polypropylene/Blends of Modified Polyamide and Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Containers

An investigation of the gasoline permeation resistance of the as-blow-molded polypropylene, polypropylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol (PP/EVOH), polypropylene/modified polyamide (PP/MPA) and polypropylene/blends of modified polyamide and ethylene vinyl alcohol (PP/MPAEVOH) bottles is reported. The gasoline permeation resistance improves slightly after blending EVOH barrier resins in PP matrices during blow-molding, wherein only broken and less demarcated EVOH laminas were found on the fracture surfaces of the PP/EVOH bottle. In contrast, much better permeation resistance and more clearly defined MPA and MPAEVOH laminas were found for PP/MPA and PP/MPAEVOH bottles, respectively. The gasoline barrier properties and MPAEVOH laminar structures of PP/MPAEVOH bottles improve and become more demarcated, respectively, as the MPA contents present in MPAEVOH resin increase. In fact, by using the proper composition, the gasoline permeation rate of PP/MPAEVOH bottle is about 113 and 11 times slower than that of the as-blow-molded PP and PP/MPA bottles, respectively. In order to understand these interesting gasoline barrier and morphological properties descried above, the melt shear viscosities, thermal properties, wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns and Fourier-transform infrared spectra of the base resins used in these bottle specimens were investigated.

Barrier resistance of polyethylene, polyethylene/modified polyamide, and polyethylene/blends of modified polyamide and ethylene vinyl alcohol bottles against permeation of polar and nonpolar mixed solvents

AbstractThe main objective of this study is to investigate the barrier properties and mechanisms of polyethylene (PE), PE/modified polyamide (MPA), and PE/blends of MPA and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (MPAEVOH) bottles against permeation of polar/nonpolar (acetone/white spirit) mixed solvents. The mixed solvent permeation resistance improves dramatically after blending MPA and MPAEVOH barrier resins in PE matrices during blow molding. By using the proper MPAEVOH compositions, the white spirit permeation rate of PE/MPAEVOH bottles at 40°C can be about 145 times slower than that of the PE bottle specimen; however, it is still 2.5 times faster than that of the PE/MPA bottles. In contrast, the rate of polar acetone solvent permeation through the PE bottle is much slower than that of white spirit and only slightly faster than that through the PE/MPA and PE/MPAEVOH bottle specimens. In contrast, the permeation rates of acetone/white spirit mixed solvents into PE/MPA bottles are at least 20–60 times faster than the summation permeation rates calculated using the simple mixing rule when the acetone contents in the mixed solvents are between 10 and 70 wt %. It is somewhat interesting that, after blending the proper amounts of EVOH in MPA, the mixed solvent permeation rates of PE/MPAEVOH bottles are dramatically reduced and are very close to the summation permeation rates calculated using the simple mixing rule when the acetone contents are in the particular “window” range. These interesting barrier properties of PE/MPA and PE/MPAEVOH bottle specimens were investigated in terms of the free volumes, barrier properties, molecular interactions in the amorphous phases of the barrier resins, and their resulting morphological structures that present in their corresponding bottles. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 1333–1344, 2005

White spirit permeation resistance of polyethylene, polyethylene/modified polyamide, and polyethylene/blends of modified polyamide and ethylene vinyl alcohol bottles

AbstractThe main objective of this study was to investigate the barrier properties of polyethylene (PE), PE/modified polyamide (MPA), and PE/blends of modified polyamide and ethylene vinyl alcohol (MPAEVOH) bottles against white spirit permeation. After MPAEVOH barrier resins were blended with PE, the resistance of the PE/MPAEVOH bottles against white spirit permeation was significantly improved compared to the PE bottle. Surprisingly, with proper compositions of MPAEVOH resins, the white spirit permeation resistance of PE/MPAEVOH bottles at 40°C improved by more than 3000 times compared to the PE bottle, wherein the best permeation resistance (4200 times barrier improvement) of the PE/MPAEVOH bottles was found as the weight ratio of MPA : EVOH reached 4:1. These interesting permeation properties of PE/MPAEVOH bottles were investigated in terms of the barrier and free‐volume properties of the base resins and their corresponding morphologies in blow‐molded bottles. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 45:25–32, 2005. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.

Influence of the Number of Alcohol and Water Bottles on Murine Alcohol Intake

Background: Most work to understand the controls of alcohol intake by animals involves the two‐bottle choice method. Recent experiments involving other nutrients suggest that intakes are profoundly influenced by the number of nutrient choices available. Here, we extended these observations by measuring the alcohol consumption of mice and rats given multiple choices of water and alcohol.Methods: Four experiments were conducted. In experiments 1 and 2, male C57BL6/J (B6) mice, 129X1/SvJ mice, or Sprague‐Dawley rats received a series of six 72‐ or 48‐hr tests in which the number of bottles of 10% alcohol and water was manipulated. One test involved the typical two‐bottle choice. In the other five, the rodents always had six bottles with one, two, three, four, or five containing 10% alcohol and the rest containing water. In experiment 3, separate groups of B6 mice received for 16 days (a) the typical two‐bottle test, (b) five alcohol bottles and one water bottle, (c) three alcohol bottles and three water bottles, or (d) one alcohol bottle and five water bottles. In experiment 4, groups of B6 mice received either a two‐bottle test or five alcohol bottles and one water bottle for 24 days.Results: In all experiments, the volume of alcohol consumed was strongly and positively related to the number of alcohol bottles available and inversely related to the number of water bottles available. The effect of alcohol availability on alcohol intake persisted for at least 24 days.Conclusions: Alcohol intake is strongly influenced by availability. The results point to a simple method of manipulating murine alcohol intake over a wide range. They provide an animal model that might be useful for understanding the influence of alcohol availability on human alcohol consumption.

Gasoline Permeation Resistance of Containers of Polyethylene, Polyethylene/Modified Polyamide and Polyethylene/Blends of Modified Polyamide and Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol

An investigation of the gasoline permeation resistance of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene/modified polyamide (MPA), and polyethylene/blends of modified polyamide and ethylene vinyl alcohol (MPAEVOH) bottles is reported. The gasoline permeation resistance improves slightly after blending EVOH barrier resins in PE matrices during blow-molding, wherein only broken and less demarcated EVOH laminas were found on the fracture surfaces of the PE/EVOH bottle. In contrast, much better permeation resistance and more clearly defined MPA and MPAEVOH laminas were found for PE/MPA and PE/MPAEVOH bottles, respectively. The gasoline barrier properties and MPAEVOH laminar structures of PE/MPAEVOH bottles improve and become more demarcated, respectively, as the MPA contents present in MPAEVOH resins increase. In fact, by using the proper composition, the gasoline permeation rate of PE/MPAEVOH bottles is about 450 and 3 times slower than that of the PE and PE/MPA bottles, respectively. These interesting gasoline barrier and morphological properties of PE, PE/MPA and PE/MPAEVOH were investigated in terms of melt shear viscosities and thermal properties of the base resins, and the chemical and physical amorphous phase structure present in their corresponding bottles.

Withdrawal Symptoms in a Long-Term Model of Voluntary Alcohol Drinking in Wistar Rats

HÖLTER, S. M., A. C. E. LINTHORST, J. M. H. M. REUL AND R. SPANAGEL. Withdrawal symptoms in a long-term model of voluntary alcohol drinking in Wistar rats. PHARMACOL BIOCHEM BEHAV 66(1) 143–151, 2000.—Long-term voluntary alcohol drinking with repeated alcohol deprivation episodes has been suggested as animal model for some aspects of alcoholism. Using a radiotelemetric system, the present study investigated the occurrence of withdrawal symptoms in long-term voluntarily alcohol drinking Wistar rats with (repeated alcohol deprivation group) and without (first alcohol deprivation group) prior alcohol deprivation experience. Six days after transmitter implantation, alcohol bottles were removed, and returned 4 days later. Alcohol deprivation induced hyperlocomotion in both groups. In the repeated alcohol deprivation group, hyperlocomotion was increased at the beginning of the alcohol deprivation phase and decreased during the following dark phase, suggesting that removal of the alcohol bottles might have become a conditioned withdrawal stimulus for this group. Both groups showed an enhanced alcohol intake after representation of alcohol bottles compared to preabstinence intakes (alcohol deprivation effect). However, alcohol intake of the repeated alcohol deprivation group was significantly increased compared to the first alcohol deprivation group at the end of the experiment. It is concluded that repeated alcohol deprivation experience might promote the development of alcohol addiction because of its latent stimulating effect on alcohol drinking that can be unveiled by (presumably mildly stressful) experimental situations.

Tick Removal

Several tick-borne infectious diseases that can affect children are prevalent in different geographic areas within the United States. Examples of these include: babesiosis, a protozoal infection transmitted by the deer tick(Ixodes scapularis); Colorado tick fever, which is an arboviral infection; and tularemia, a Gram-negative bacterial infection. Several rickettsial diseases also are spread by tick bites, including ehrlichiosis,which is spread by the tick vector Amblyomma americanum and possibly Ixodes scapularis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). RMSF is transmitted in the South Atlantic/Southeastern states primarily by the dog tick Dermacentor variabilis, in the Western United States by the wood tick Dermacentor andersoni, and in the South Central region by the Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum.Perhaps the most notorious tick-borne disease in the United States today is Lyme disease, caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The disease is transmitted by the deer ticks Ixodes scapularis(previously Ixodes dammini) in the East/ Midwest and Ixodes pacificus in the West.Control measures for these and other tick-borne pediatric infectious diseases are aimed at preventing infected ticks from biting children. These measures include avoiding tick-infested areas; wearing protective clothing that covers exposed parts of the body; using tick/insect repellant; and carefully examining the child’s head, neck, and body following possible tick exposure.Any ticks that are discovered should be removed promptly either by using the fingers or fine tweezers. Whatever method is used, the tick should be grasped as close to the skin as possible and removed by pulling straight out. Twisting motions should be avoided. In addition, care should be taken not to squeeze the body of the tick. Fingers always should be protected by tissue paper and thoroughly washed with soap and water after tick removal.Adherence to the measures described can diminish the transmission of tick-borne diseases by reducing contact with ticks and preventing infected ticks from biting and engorging on children.Worldwide, only mosquitoes surpass ticks as arthropod vectors of human infections, and the range of infectious agents transmitted by ticks to people is an unfortunate reflection of nature’s almost infinite variety: virus, bacterium,protozoa, rickettsia, and spirochete,not to mention the noninfectious neurotoxin that causes tick paralysis. Children are particularly susceptible to tick-borne disease because they love to play in the kinds of places where ticks live, as do their pets,another common source of exposure.An article published in Pediatrics(Needham GR. Evaluation of five popular methods for tick removal. 1985;75:997) serves as the scientific basis for the recommendations outlined by Dr Ozuah. Despite what our grandmothers may have told us,neither petroleum jelly, fingernail polish, alcohol, nor a hot match works as well in extracting a tick intact as totally straight traction. Dr Ozuah points out that if fingers are used instead of tweezers, they should be protected by tissue or rubber gloves to keep infectious agents in the tick’s saliva from invading through breaks in the skin—an argument for not allowing children to “de-tick” their pets.Because of the risk of contamination with infectious agents from the tick’s saliva, the site of a bite should be disinfected carefully after the tick has been removed. Removed ticks should be put into a bottle of alcohol or flushed down the toilet.