Chemical Poisoning Research Articles

Evaluation of Common Non-pharmacological Chemical Substance Poisonings in Childhood

Evaluation of Common Non-pharmacological Chemical Substance Poisonings in Childhood

The patterns of children poisoning cases in community teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

IntroductionAlthough the majority of poisoning-related cases can be managed in home settings, reduction of hospital visits and admissions are still important challenge. Thousands of interventions are involved and the appropriate management of poisoning is therefore a major task and burden to any institution. Therefore, the present study was aimed to identify the most common classes of toxic substances and route of poisoning in children and to investigate the pattern of drug and chemical poisoning in suspected case fatalities, the subsequent need for hospital admission and arrival time to hospital. MethodsA retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study of all registered poisoning cases of children reported to drug and poison information center at King Khaled University Hospital Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the period of January 2010–December 2016. ResultsA total of 735 children presented to Pediatric Emergency Medicine with poisoning. Most of the cases were asymptomatic, and majority of children were arrived to the hospital in less than 3 h. The drugs were the most common cause of poisoning (70%) followed by chemical materials (29%), which is more common in children under 2 years comparing to other groups (p < 0.001). The route of poisoning was oral in the majority of cases (98.8%). The drugs most frequently ingested were analgesic (18.8%). Among the chemicals, pesticide products involved in (39.6%) of the cases, followed by cleaning products (25.9%) and cosmetic (22.8%). ConclusionThe results found that the majority of poisoning cases occurred in children under the age of six and required only observation without treatment. These results necessitate the need for close cooperation between different governmental health-sectors to establish national epidemiological surveillance of poisoning events in Saudi Arabia to help to develop national plans to decrease the financial burden of emergency department congestion and hospital crowding.

Evolution of Forensic Toxicology

The field of science dealing with criminal investigation is known as forensic science. Throughout history, evidence has been used to condemn criminals of the crimes that they have committed. Over the past twenty-five years, the forensic sciences have made huge scientific breakthroughs with the application of modern techniques, physical evidence databases, and new scientific instrumentation. Forensic toxicology is a category of forensic science which deals with examination of chemicals, drugs and their fatal effects on the body. This report on forensic toxicology deals with classification of drugs and chemicals along with the modes of action of some poisons - Cocaine, Cannabis, Cyanide, Chloroform, and Aspirin. Various types of samples and classical and modern testing methods are discussed. Postmortem findings in case of death due to suspected chemical poisoning based on external and internal examination has been reviewed.

Five-year epidemiological trends for chemical poisoning in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUNDPoisoning is a significant global public health challenge in terms of morbidity and mortality. We conducted this study because of the lack of large population-based studies on chemical poisoning in Saudi Arabia.OBJECTIVEDescribe epidemiological trends, associated factors, and outcomes of chemical poisoning cases reported to the Jeddah Health Affairs Directorate, Saudi Arabia.DESIGNDescriptive, retrospective medical record review.SETTINGPopulation database for the Jeddah Governorate.METHODSFor chemical poisoning cases reported from January 2011 to December 2015, data was collection using a standardized, validated data collection sheet. Data was collected on personal characteristics, type of chemical poisoning and outcome.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)Descriptive epidemiological data and statistical comparisons.RESULTSFor 994 chemical poisoning cases, an increasing trend was observed from 2011 to 2013 followed by some reduction during 2014 and 2015. The highest percentage of cases occurred during July followed by March for the cumulative total cases by month for all years. More than half of the cases involved males (55%), and children aged less than 5 years (56.6%). About three-fourths of the cases occurred accidentally and through ingestion. The most common poisonous agents were detergents (36.0%). Poisoning with addictive drugs occurred in 13 cases (1.3%). Only 1.1% of cases received a poisoning specific antidote, and the same percentage died because of poisoning. Gender, age, nationality, the route and the circumstances of the exposure were significantly associated with the type of poisoning (P<.001).CONCLUSIONMost of chemical poisoning cases were accidental, occurred during summer, were caused by detergents, affected children <5 years of age, and occurred via ingestion. Educational programs are needed to raise public awareness about poisoning, and to minimize the access of children to poisonous agents, especially detergents. Such measures could contribute toward a further reduction of the chemical poisoning burden.LIMITATIONSSome key statistics not reported. Information bias may have affected results.

Phosphorus adlayers on Platinum (110)

Platinum is a metal utilized in many applications. Its catalytic activity can be decreased due to chemical poisoning caused e.g. by phosphorus. To gain more understanding of its poisoning, we present a study of phosphorus adsorption on a platinum (110) single crystal surface. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we have found that the adsorbate coverage saturates at around 3 monolayers. Annealing the phosphorus-covered platinum surface at 750 °C gives rise to three different ordered adlayer structures, with symmetries of 2 × 3, 11 × 4 and 2×1, from the lowest to the highest coverage, detected with low-energy electron diffraction. We have studied the sample topography with scanning tunnelling microscopy. We also present a tentative model for the observed structures and their evolution.

Hospitalized morbidity of Omsk population as a result of acute intoxication of chemical etiology in 2015

Aim. Analysis of hospitalized morbidity of the population of Omsk as a result of acute poisoning of chemical etiology in age and gender groups depending on the toxicant in 2015. &#x0D; Methods. The rate of admissions of patients who suffered acute poisoning of chemical etiology in 2015 was analyzed according to gender in age groups 15-19 years, 20-29 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60 years and older. According to the etiology all acute poisonings were divided into the following groups: ethanol and its surrogates, medications, drugs, psychoactive substances other than plant-based, caustic and other poisons. &#x0D; Results. During the analyzed period the majority of patients admitted to the center for the treatment of acute poisoning in Omsk were males in whom the incidence of hospitalization was 4.1 times higher than in females. The highest hospitalization rate due to acute chemical poisoning was observed in the age group of 20-29 years among males and 15-19 years among females. Acute alcohol intoxication was observed more frequently among males aged 40-49 years and among females aged 30-39 years that is indicative of the peak rate of severe chronic alcohol abuse in these age groups. &#x0D; Conclusion. The high rate of consumption of modern psychoactive synthetic substances, «designer» drugs, which replaced plant-based drugs, defines the nature of toxicological situation in the region.

Acute Chemical Poisonings in the Republic of Moldova: 5 Years Review

(PDF) Graphical Abstract: The incidence and the type of acute chemical poisoning in Republic of Moldova during 2011-2015 were assessed. Records show 22458 cases of poisonings, including 919 death cases. The analysis of poisoning cases involving various types of chemical substances causing the intoxication reveals that the medicines-related poisoning accounts for the highest record of cases (6971), followed by alcohol poisoning, 6556 cases, gas poisoning is the third, with 1860 cases, and pesticide-related poisoning, with 707 cases. Age and gender characteristics of chemical poisonings and ways of exposure to chemicals are discussed.

Epidemiological and occupational characteristics of occupational chemical poisoning in Tianjin city during 2006-2015

Objective: To provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control measures of acute and chronic occupational poisoning by analyzing the epidemiological and occupational characteristics of occupational chemical poisoning cases reported in Tianjin city during 2006-2015. Methods: In September 2016, based on the China Disease Control and Prevention Information System, a database of occupational poisoning cases in Tianjin from 2006 to 2015 was established. The epidemiological characteristics of occupational poisoning were analyzed including three distributions firstly, and then the occupational characteristics were analyzed such as length of service, industry distribution and source of poison. Results: There were 174 occupational poisoning patients in Tianjin from 2006 to 2015, including 16 cases of acute poisoning (9.20%) and 158 cases of chronic poisoning (90.8%) , and the proportion of occupational poisoning cases reported in Binhai New Area is the highest. The number of reported cases of chronic occupational poisoning shows a downward trend. Occupational poisoning cases are concentrated mainly in the age of 40-60 years and length of service of 10-20 years. The high incidence of occupational poisoning mainly exists in the chemical raw materials and chemical manufacturing industry and general, professional equipment manufacturing industry. Acute poisoning was mainly by asphyxial gas (50.00%) , and chronic poisoning was mainly by organic solvent (43.67%) . Conclusion: The distribution of occupational poisoning cases in diverse toxic types and regions in Tianjin are quite different. The occupational safety precautions of the chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing and occupational poisoning control work in Binhai new area should be strengthened to reduce the occurrence of occupational poisoning.

Toxicological monitoring of causes of acute poisonings of chemical etiology in the Russian Federation

The article presents evaluation results of data of toxicological monitoring conducted by the Federal Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor over the period of 2011-2015. In the Russian Federation during the analyzed period, 838,169 cases of acute poisonings of chemical etiology were registered, that is to say 111.5 to 120.8 cases per 100 thousand population, 17.2% of them were lethal. There is a trend of increase in acute poisonings of chemical etiology among adolescents. The main causes of acute chemical poisoning were alcoholcontaining products (32.1%).

A trend analysis of the incidence of occupational diseases in Chongqing, China, from 2006 to 2014

Objective: To investigate the incidence of occupational diseases in Chongqing, China, from 2006 to 2014, and to analyze the harm, features, and trend of occupational diseases in Chongqing. Methods: The data of new cases of occupational diseases from 2006 to 2014 were collected, and the patients with a confirmed diagnosis of occupational diseases were selected as study subjects to analyze the incidence of occupational diseases in Chongqing. Results: There were 17499 cases of occupational diseases in total in Chongqing from 2006 to 2014. Among these patients, 17124 (97.86%) were male, most of whom (95.40%) had occupational pneumoconiosis, and 375 (2.14%) were female, most of whom (72.80%) had occupational chemical poisoning. There were 16400 cases (93.72%) of occupational pneumoconiosis in total, mainly coal workers' pneumoconiosis (55.87%) and silicosis (43.02%) , and the main industries involved were coal mining and washing, railway transport equipment manufacturing, and mining and washing of bituminous coal and anthracite. There were 724 cases of occupational poisoning in total; there were 281 cases of acute occupational poisoning, mainly gas poisoning (39.86%) and carbon monoxide poisoning (33.10%) ; there were 443 cases of chronic occupational poisoning, mainly poisoning caused by benzene (47.63%) , mercury and its inorganic compounds (32.74%) , and lead and its inorganic compounds (9.03%) . Conclusion: Occupational diseases in Chongqing are mainly occupational pneumoconiosis, and occupational health supervision should be enhanced in the industries of coal mining and washing and railway transport equipment manufacturing to protect workers' health.

An insight of environmental contamination of arsenic on animal health

Abstract The main threats to human health from heavy metals are associated with exposure to lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. Exposure to arsenic is mainly via intake of food and drinking water, food being the most important source in most populations. Although adverse health effects of heavy metals have been known for a long time, exposure to heavy metals continues and is even increasing in some areas. Long-term exposure to arsenic in drinking-water is mainly related to increased risks of skin cancer, but also some other cancers, as well as other skin lesions such as hyperkeratosis and pigmentation changes. Therefore, measures should be taken to reduce arsenic exposure in the general population in order to minimize the risk of adverse health effects. Animal are being exposed to arsenic through contaminated drinking water, feedstuff, grasses, vegetables and different leaves. Arsenic has been the most common causes of inorganic chemical poisoning in farm animals. Although, sub-chronic and chronic exposure of arsenic do not generally reveal external signs or symptoms in farm animals but arsenic (or metabolites) concentrations in blood, hair, hoofs and urine are remained high in animals of arsenic contaminated zones. So it is assumed that concentration of arsenic in blood, urine, hair or milk have been used as biomarkers of arsenic exposure in field animals.

&lt;b&gt;Nepal’s National Red List of Birds&lt;/b&gt;

The main objectives of the Nepal National Bird Red Data Book were to provide comprehensive and up-to-date accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels, identify threats to all bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. It is hoped that the Bird RDB will help Nepal achieve the Convention on Biological Diversity target of preventing the extinction of known threatened species and improving their conservation status. As population changes of Nepal’s birds have been studied for only a few species, assessments of species’ national status were mainly made by assessing changes in distribution. Species distribution maps were produced for all of Nepal’s bird species except vagrants and compared to maps that were produced in 1991 using the same mapping system. Of the 878 bird species recorded, 168 species (19%) were assessed as nationally threatened. These comprise 68 (40%) Critically Endangered species, 38 (23%) Endangered species and 62 (37%) Vulnerable species. A total of 62 species was considered Near Threatened and 22 species Data Deficient. Over 55% of the threatened birds are lowland grassland specialists, 25% are wetland birds and 24% tropical and sub-tropical broadleaved forest birds. Larger birds appear to be more threatened than smaller birds with 98 (25%) non-passerine species threatened and 67 (14%) passerine species. Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation are the most important threats. Other threats include chemical poisoning, over-exploitation, climate change, hydropower, invasive species, intensification of agriculture, disturbance, and limited conservation measures and research. Measures to address these threats are described. It was also concluded that re-assessments of the status of certain bird groups carried out every five years and the setting up of a national online system for storing and reporting bird sightings would be useful.

The Health and Educational Consequences of Child Labour in Nigeria

Child Labour is an evil that destroys the health, development and education of many Nigerian children. The health and educational consequences of child labour in Nigeria cannot be overestimated; children from 5-17 years old are economically and physically lured or even forced into performing certain tasks that are likely to harm and interfere with their health and education. This research work investigated the health and educational consequences of child labour in Nigeria using descriptive survey. To achieve this, two research questions guided the study. The population of the study was the entire child labourers in Nigeria. Staged stratified sampling technique was used to select 1,800 child labourers from 6 states of the federation. Data were collected, using structured questionnaire, and in-depth interview. The data collected were analyzed using simple percentage and frequency. The findings revealed that child labourers in Nigeria engaged in all sorts of child labour such as hawking, begging, carry heavy loads and experience a lot of health and educational problems ranging from injuries, pains of some sort, traffic accidents, chemical poisoning, pneumonia, craw-craw difficulty in breathing, which have other serious health implications. The findings also identified poverty, greed, broken family and others as some of the causes of child labour in Nigeria. It was also revealed that children’s education suffer a lot as they do not receive sound education. Recommendations were made to curb this cankerworm in the society.

The Accidental Acute Pesticides Poisoning Cases Admitted to the Children Hospital in Benghazi, Libya

The use of pesticides is well organized and often dangerous; their easy availability makes them a popular way of hurting oneself. Studies on accidental chemical poisoning are very limited in Libya. The objective of this study was the assessment of acute poisoning rates in children from 2012 to the end of 2016, and determination of the significant factors affecting the rate trend in Children's Hospital, Benghazi, Libya. Medical records of patients that attended the hospital during the period from 2012 to 2016 were reviewed. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 to determine the presentation rates for paediatric poisoning by pesticides and the determinants of hospital admission. The records showed a total of 113 children’s cases occurred during the last five year period. The most vulnerable age group included children &gt;5 years old (92.7%). Cases involving males (61.06%) outnumbered the females (38.9%). Almost all of the patients poisoned with organophosphorous and carbamates (83.1%) and fully recovered after the treatment.

Epidemiologic Trends of Chemical Ocular Burns in the United States.

Determining the national epidemiologic trends of chemical ocular burns can assist physicians and policy makers in appropriate allocation of resources for treatment and prevention. To describe the epidemiologic trends and risk factors for chemical burns of the eye. Between August 1, 2015, and April 25, 2016, data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample were analyzed from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2013. A sample of 900 emergency departments (EDs) across the United States was used. Patients presenting to EDs with a diagnosis of alkali or acid ocular burn, chemical conjunctivitis, or a combination of nonspecific ocular chemical burn and chemical poisoning or toxic effects were eligible for inclusion. Injured patients' age, sex, primary health care insurance, income quartile, and other demographics were described. A subset consisting of those injuries identified as alkaline or acidic burns was further characterized. Age-specific rates of ED presentation for chemical ocular burn injuries, independent factors associated with all, alkali, and acid injuries, and total ED-associated charges. From January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2013, a total of 144 149 chemical ocular burns were diagnosed at EDs nationwide. Men represented 56.6% of all cases (n = 81 496). Median age was 32 years, with female patients presenting at a younger age than male patients (median of 32 vs 34 years; P < .001). Injury rates were highest among children aged 1 to 2 years (28.61 and 23.49 injuries per 100 000 population, respectively). Adults aged between 18 and 64 years also have these injuries at an increased rate, although this rate was half that of infants (mean, 13.28 per 100 000 population). Alkali injuries were more common than acid injuries (53.6% [n = 9137; 95% CI, 51.6%-56.0%] vs 46.4% [n = 7909; 95% CI, 44.0%-48.9%]), and all chemical eye injuries most commonly occur in residential locations (10.3% [n = 14 772]; 95% CI, 9.6%-10.9%) and among individuals in the first and second (lowest and second-lowest) income quartiles (≤$48 749) (56.0% [n = 80 691]; 95% CI, 54.4%-57.7%). Injuries most commonly occurred among those who had private health care insurance (31.9% [n = 45 900]; 95% CI, 30.9%-32.9%), and occurred more in the South (36.8% [n = 53 008]; 95% CI, 34.6%-39.1%). Emergency department charges due to these injuries totaled $106.7 million. Young children represent the single highest-risk group for ocular chemical injuries. Education and other interventions concerned with preventing these injuries will be most effective if used accordingly.

Activities of cholinesterase enzyme among diazinon and sevin insecticides sprayers in the western part of Iran

ObjectiveTo measure the activities of cholinesterase enzyme among farmers who used the selected insecticides for the purpose of preventing the growth of agricultural pests on their farms. MethodsA total of 21 people used diazinon to spray their agricultural lands and 13 people also used sevin to spray theirs in western part of Iran. Lovi Bond method was used for the measurement of cholinesterase activity. ResultsResults revealed that the enzyme level before spraying with diazinon was 100.0% among 3 workers and 87.5% in 18 of them. This level decreased to 75.0% among 13 workers and 67.5% in 5 workers. The number of workers that had headache, pale, dizziness with headache, nausea, diarrhea with cramps and stomachache were 5, 9, 5, 3, 4 and 7 respectively. These symptoms decreased after 72 h. Out of 13 workers who sprayed with sevin, the enzyme level before spraying was normal (100.0%) among 5 workers and 87.5% in 8 workers. After spraying, the enzyme level was 87.5% in 5 workers, 75.0% in 5 workers and 67.5% in 3 workers. ConclusionsThese workers were in danger of chemical poisoning. Measurement of pre-cholinesterase and post-cholinesterase exposures is recommended in order to compare the values after pesticide application.

Toxicovigilance Systems and Practices in Africa

African consumers and citizens are growingly aware of the wide range of toxic poisoning scenarios from different products and hazards. Recurrent episodes on poisoning that have been reported in Africa include toxic hazards in consumers’ products ranging from food to herbal medicine, drugs, and cosmetics. Chemical poisoning remains an issue that is overlooked by public health stakeholders in Africa. Available information on toxicovigilance systems and practices in African countries is reviewed in terms of increasing development, organization and articulation levels. Less than nine out of 54 African countries have a legally recognized toxicovigilance system. Of these, the majority have created toxicovigilance systems recently, and are facing many challenges in developing them, at regional and country levels. Basic structures for a good toxicovigilance system include a phone line service (available 24/7), and hospital facilities. Pesticides emerge as the hazard recognized by all of the toxicovigilance systems, and may represent a prototypic toxicant towards a toxicovigilance system that is inclusive of a wider spectrum of toxicological hazards for the protection of community health. Toxicovigilance today is more reactive than preventive in Africa, but some milestones are present that constitute some promising seminal efforts.

A 16-Year-Old Lady with Transformer Oil Poisoning in Intensive Care Unit of Enam Medical College Hospital

Transformer oil is one kind of highly refined oil which is used as coolant and heat exchanger in different electronic equipments. Poisoning with this oil is a rare type of chemical poisoning as it is not easily available for household purpose. The main constituent of transformer oil is polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) which is responsible for producing toxicity in humans. Chronic exposure with PCB may cause some toxicity such as hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Here we present a case of acute toxicity with transformer oil of a rural woman in Bangladesh who ingested this oil as suicidal attempt. She was managed efficiently through conservative treatment along with artificial ventilation.J Enam Med Col 2016; 6(2): 110-113

Evaluation of blast injury patients from the 2015 Tianjin explosions in China

ObjectivesTo perform a descriptive analysis of blast injury patients from the Tianjin explosions that occurred August 12, 2015 and provide a reference for triage and treatment of patients in similar situations in the future. MethodsThe medical records of patients with blast injuries admitted to our hospital following the 2015 Tianjin explosions were retrospectively reviewed. The results were compared with the literature for other recent mass casualty events. ResultsThe 75 patients with blast injuries included 58 men (77.3%) and 17 women (22.7%), who had an average age of 36.39±12.3 years. Multidimensional injuries affecting almost every organ system were observed in these patients. The distribution of the types of blast injuries included 36 (48.0%) with primary blast injuries, 63 (84.0%) with secondary injuries, 33 (44.0%) with tertiary injuries and 32 (42.6%) with quaternary injuries. A total of 52 (69.3%) patients suffered more than two types of blast injury. Burns affecting different areas and different depths were present in 41.3% of the patients with blast injuries, and these were divided into the following four groups: a minor group (18.7%), a moderate group (10.7%), a severe group (5.3%), and an extra severe group (6.7%). The total body surface area (TBSA) affected by the burn ranged from 1% to 75%. Additionally, 6.7% of the patients were diagnosed with an inhalational injury, and 2.7% of the patients were diagnosed with chemical poisoning. There were significant differences in the department distribution (especially in the burn unit and ophthalmology department) and ICU treatment between civilians and firefighters. ConclusionVarious types of injury, with overlapping injuries present in many patients, were observed in the victims after the Tianjin explosions. An evaluation of the distribution of blast injuries is important for optimizing strategies to triage and treat survivors after mass casualty events.

Intraosseous vascular access in disasters and mass casualty events: A review of the literature.

The intraosseous (IO) route of vascular access has been increasingly used to administer resuscitative fluids and drugs to patients in whom reliable intravenous (IV) access could not be rapidly or easily obtained. It is unknown that to what extent the IO route has been used to gain vascular access during disasters and mass casualty events. The purpose of this review was to examine the existing literature to answer the research question, "What is the utility of the IO route compared to other routes for establishing vascular access in patients resulting from disasters and mass casualty events?" Keyword-based online database search of PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. University-based academic research cell. Included evidence were randomized and nonrandomized trials, systematic reviews with and without meta-analysis, case series, and case reports. Excluded evidence included narrative reviews and expert opinion. Not applicable. Of 297 evidence sources located, 22 met inclusion criteria. Located evidence was organized into four categories including chemical agent poisoning, IO placement, while wearing chemical protective clothing (PPE), military trauma, and infectious disease outbreak. Evidence indicates that the IO route of infusion is pharmacokinetically equal to the IV route and superior to the intramuscular (IM) and endotracheal routes for the administration of antidotal drugs in animal models of chemical agent poisoning while wearing full chemical PPE. The IO route is superior to the IM route for antidote administration during hypovolemic shock. Civilian casualties of explosive attacks and mass shootings would likely benefit from expanded use of the IO route and military resuscitation strategies. The IO route is useful for fluid resuscitation in the management of diarrheal and hemorrhagic infectious disease outbreaks.