Mild Poisoning Research Articles

Pest management constraints in smallscale cotton farms in Mozambique: Timing and application of insecticides

A questionnaire survey of 100 smallscale cotton growers was conducted in two cotton-growing provinces of Mozambique to assess the constraints faced by the farmers in relation to the timing of insecticide application. The results showed that majority of the farmers started spraying too early (four weeks after germination) and were unaware that such sprays reduced the population of natural enemies of insect pests and might not lead to increased yields. The farmers applied an average of three sprays in the cotton growing season, about half of them according to pest observance and 41 % by following instructions of extension officers, but were constrained by the unavailability of insecticides and sprayers. Another constraint was lack of information on the timing of insecticide application. More than half of the farmers had suffered mild insecticide poisoning and needed more effective training on the judicious and safer use of insecticides, integrated with non-chemical pest management practices.

Cyanide poisoning: pathophysiology and treatment recommendations.

This paper aims to assess and compare currently available antidotes for cyanide poisoning. Such evaluation, however, is difficult. Thus, extrapolation from the results of animal studies has potential pitfalls, as significant inter-species differences in response may exist, and these experiments often involve administration of toxin and antidote almost simultaneously, rather than incorporating a more realistic time delay before initiation of treatment. Direct inference from human case reports is also problematic; either because of uncertainties over the exposure levels involved (and hence the likely outcome without treatment), or because of difficulties in identifying the specific contribution of a particular antidote within the overall treatment regimen. Certainly an effort to compare the relative efficacy of cyanide antidotes produces equivocal findings, with no single regimen clearly standing out. Indeed, factors such as the risks of antidote toxicity to various individuals and other practical issues, may be more important considerations. There is therefore no single treatment regimen which is best for all situations. Besides individual risk factors for antidote toxicity, the nature of the exposure and hence its likely severity, the evolving clinical features and the number of persons involved and their proximity to hospital facilities, all need to be considered. Clinically mild poisoning may be treated by rest, oxygen and amyl nitrite. Intravenous antidotes are indicated for moderate poisoning. Where the diagnosis is uncertain, sodium thiosulphate may be the first choice. With severe poisoning, an additional agent is required. Given the various risks with methaemoglobin formers or with unselective use of kelocyanor, hydroxocobalamin may be preferred from a purely risk-benefit perspective. However the former alternatives will likely remain important.

Butyrylcholinesterase Variants (BCHE and CHE2 Loci) Associated with Erythrocyte Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition in Farmers Exposed to Pesticides

Farmers exposed to pesticides and classified as mildly poisoned and controls on the basis of erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were examined for butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) genetic variability. The mildly poisoned group showed a significantly higher frequency of non-usual phenotypes (13.1%) than the control group (1.7%). These phenotypes showed a relative risk (RR) of 8.8 of erythrocyte AChE inhibition when compared to the usual phenotype. Among the subjects with the usual phenotype, the CHF2 C5- phenotype was more frequent in the mildly poisoned group (94.3%) than in the control group (81.0%), leading to an RR of 3.9 when compared to the CHE2 C5+ phenotype. When the total sample was classified into two groups (usual CHE2 C5+ and other phenotypes), the usual CHE2 C5+ phenotype was found to be responsible for a preventive fraction of about 14% of the cases of mild poisoning. The present data suggest that BChE genetic variability offers differential protection against erythrocyte AChE inhibition.

An outbreak of tetrodotoxin poisoning following gastropod mollusc consumption

Tetrodotoxin, a violent neurotoxin, is present in puffer fish and may occur in a variety of marine animals. Outbreaks of human tetrodotoxin poisoning, following consumption of marine organisms other than puffer fish, has been rare. We here report an outbreak of tetrodotoxin poisoning following ingestion of gastropod molluscs and its clinical features are discussed. A 71-year-old woman was admitted with hypertension and other neurological symptoms developing after ingestion of some molluscs. A further 16 cases were also found to have typical symptoms of tetrodotoxication after mollusc consumption. Clinical features in these 17 cases were similar to those conventionally found in tetrodotoxin poisoning, except that there was hypertension in eight cases (47%). All except one case had mild poisoning and recovered well. The molluscs consumed comprised two different species: Nassarius castus and Nassarius conoidalis, both of which were shown to contain various amounts of tetrodotoxin. It is concluded that tetrodotoxin poisoning following mollusc consumption is a possibility. Hypertension, as an unusual feature in tetrodotoxication, is frequent in this outbreak, and should be looked for in future cases. The explanation of hypertension in tetrodotoxication may come either from an exaggerated response to sympathetic stimuli, or due to various responses of the vasomotor centre to a small dose of tetrodotoxin. Further studies are required to answer this question.

Poisoning due to Chinese proprietary medicines

1. To determine the toxic potentials of those Chinese proprietary medicines (CPM) which are commonly used for self-poisoning by adults in Hong Kong, all patients admitted to four of the eight general medical wards at the Prince of Wales Hospital between January 1988 and December 1993 were retrospectively studied. 2. There were 54 women and 17 men with their age ranging from 15 to 86 years. Twenty-three subjects (32%) also took alcohol, chemicals or drugs. Of the 51 subjects (72%) who had taken topical medicaments, 22 had no symptoms while 28 had minor features of gastrointestinal irritation (n = 26), mild (n = 2) or severe (n = 1) salicylate poisoning. Of the 17 subjects (24%) who had taken CPM tablets/capsules, nine had mild symptoms including nausea/vomiting and drowsiness. The three remaining patients (4%) who had ingested liquid CPM preparations were asymptomatic. Elevated plasma salicylate or paracetamol concentrations (> 0.1 mmol l-1) were found in some patients who had taken topical medicaments and CPM tablets/capsules, respectively. All the 71 patients completely recovered. 3. Most of the CPM used for self-poisoning in Hong Kong were of low to moderate toxicity except for those containing wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate).

Severity Grading of Childhood Poisoning: The Multicentre Study of Poisoning in Children (MSPC) Score

Scores for severity grading of childhood poisoning may be useful in comparing different causes of poisoning, in order to identify the main risks and their changes over time. The Multicentre Study of Poisoning in Children score is based on four levels of severity (1-mild, 2-moderate, 3-severe, 4-very severe) involving nine target groups: seven relating to organ systems (gastrointestinal, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, renal, hepatic, skin), one to metabolic abnormalities and one to injuries from corrosive substances. Each patient is classified by the highest level attributed to any one of the nine groups. The score has been prospectively tested in 644 symptomatic children, aged 0-13 years, admitted to six pediatric hospitals of Northern Italy from January 1, 1991 to December 31, 1993. Poisoning was categorized as mild (1) in 357 children (53.8%), moderate (2) in 285 (42.9%), severe (3) in 18 (2.7%) and very severe (4) in 4 (0.6%). No deaths occurred. Severity grading according to The Multicentre Study of Poisoning in Children score confirms the prevalence of mild and moderate poisonings in children; the score seems to be an objective method suitable for epidemiological studies in different countries. Its clinical usefulness deserves more investigation.

Medical charcoal for a child's poisoning at home: availability and success of administration in Finland.

In a prospective study, 174 families were interviewed over the telephone to find out whether the treatment of their child's poisoning with medical charcoal was successfully completed. The majority (103; 59.2%) of the families had no charcoal at home. The mean delay in administration for those who had to obtain charcoal was 41.6 min; significantly longer than the 24.5 min taken for those who had charcoal at home (P < 0.001). The treatment succeeded in all but five of the 102 patients given charcoal at home. Thus for mild poisoning in young children, the administration of activated charcoal at home, under the guidance of a Poison Information Centre, could be a rapid and safe first-aid treatment. Presently the widespread unavailability of charcoal in the home in Finland causes an unnecessary delay in treatment that could be of clinical importance.

Neurological and electroneuromyographic assessment of the adverse effects of acrylamide on occupationally exposed workers.

Seventy-one acrylamide workers and fifty-one unexposed referents were studied. Weak legs and numb hands and feet, preceded by skin peeling from the hands, were the early symptoms of the acrylamide workers; their early signs were impairment of vibration sensation in their toes and loss of ankle reflexes. Three cases had cerebellar involvement followed by polyneuropathy due to heavy exposure. Electroneuromyographic changes, including a decrease in the sensory action potential amplitude, neurogenic abnormalities in electromyography, and prolongation of the ankle tendon reflex latency, are of greater importance in the early detection of acrylamide neurotoxicity since they can precede the neuropathic symptoms and signs. The diagnostic criteria for occupational acrylamide intoxication of this study revealed three severe poisonings, six moderate poisonings, and 43 mild poisonings. The total prevalence of acrylamide poisoning was 73.2%. The prevention of dermal exposure to acrylamide should be emphasized.

Paraquat poisoning: clinical features and immediate general management.

In contrast to 10-15 years ago most cases of paraquat poisoning are now due to deliberate self-poisoning with parasuicidal or suicidal intent rather than to accidental ingestion. Less commonly, poisoning may follow careless handling of paraquat during occupational use. Although paraquat can be absorbed through the skin if improperly handled, poisoning usually follows ingestion and has rarely been reported after subcutaneous, intravenous or intraperitoneal injection. Clinically, three degrees of intoxication may be distinguished. Mild poisoning occurs after the ingestion or injection of less than 20 mg of paraquat ion/kg body weight. In these cases patients are either asymptomatic or symptoms are confined to the gastrointestinal system. All patients recover fully. Moderate to severe poisoning usually follows the ingestion (rarely injection) of 20-40 mg of paraquat ion/kg body weight. Non-specific symptoms of ill health together with local gastrointestinal symptoms precede the development of renal failure (which may recover spontaneously) and pulmonary fibrosis which may not be manifest for days or weeks. Death occurs in the majority of cases but is usually delayed for 2-3 weeks. Acute fulminant poisoning follows the ingestion of substantial quantities of paraquat (greater than 40 mg of paraquat ion/kg body weight). In addition to local symptoms, multiple organ (cardiac, respiratory, hepatic, renal, adrenal, pancreatic, neurological) failure occurs. Death may supervene within hours and is never delayed for more than a few days. Initial general management has four priorities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Benzene exposure in the rubber coating industry — a follow-up

This paper is a follow-up on thirty-eight workers exposed from 1 to 24 years to average benzene concentrations generally between 5 and 50 ppm, but as high as 90 (peak of 140) in the case of one worker. One individual was diagnosed as suffering from mild benzene poisoning and a small number of workers in the group had blood changes considered abnormal, but blood dyscrasia or leukemia has not developed in 13 years after benzene use was terminated in 1964. The population studied was small, but the data, nevertheless, would appear to support the former ACGIH TLV of 25 ppm. One case of mild benzene poisoning reported from benzene exposures of the order of 40 ppm suggests, however, that the margin of safety may be small. The current ACGIH TLV of 10 ppm seems reasonable in the light of our findings.

The effect of malathion on the metabolism of amino acids in the German cockroach Blattella germanica.

The effect of malathion intoxication on the free amino acids of the blood of susceptible and resistant strains of German roaches was studied during different conditions of insecticidal action. The concentrations of glycine, glutamate, proline, and glutamine were depleted in the susceptible strain. Except for glutamine, the other three amino acids were reduced in the resistant strain too, but only slightly. There was a direct positive correlation between the degree of intoxication, the external symptoms of poisoning, and the depletion of these amino acids. While the depletion of proline was a consequence of increased utilization of glutamate, glutamine level was affected by the concentrations of the other three affected amino acids. Mild poisoning had no effect on glutamine concentration, whereas the administration of labelled glycine or glutamate increased the level of glutamine in the lethally intoxicated roaches. Studies with the labelled amino acids revealed the depletion of the amino acids, along with glycogen, trehalose, and glucose, was a consequence of the enhanced activity of Krebs TCA cycle. The ammonia liberated by the deamination of the amino acids was utilized in the synthesis of non-toxic metabolites, urea, and uric acid.

Elimination of Parathion in Cows After Oral and Dermal Administration

Incubation in vitro of rumen fluid, to which had been added 40 µg. parathion per milliliter resulted in a rapid reduction of the nitro-group of the parathion to an amino group. After 10 minutes of incubation 12–13 per cent was recovered as unconverted parathion, and after 20 minutes 5 per cent. The administered parathion was in part converted to aminoparathion and intermediates, while up to 25 per cent was recovered as conjugated p-aminophenol. After oral administration to two Jersey cows of 1 mg. and 10 mg. parathion per kg. respectively, no signs of poisoning were observed and no inhibition of the blood Cholinesterase activity was detected. In the urine conjugated p-aminophenol constituted 97 per cent of the excreted metabolites and p-nitrophenol the remaining 3 per cent. Neither parathion, nor the metabolites paraoxon, aminoparathion, aminoparaoxon, p-nitrophenol or p-aminophenol could be detected in the milk samples. Dermal application of 1 mg. parathion per kilogram body weight caused inhibition of the Cholinesterase activity in the blood and development of mild poisoning. The deposit in the coat consisted exclusively of parathion and was measurable for up to 12 days. In the urine p-nitrophenol was found as the only metabolite. Neither parathion nor metabolites were detected in milk samples.

THE FATE OF CO IN THE BODY DURING RECOVERY FROM MILD CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN MAN

ArticleTHE FATE OF CO IN THE BODY DURING RECOVERY FROM MILD CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING IN MANF. J. W. Roughton, and W. S. RootF. J. W. RoughtonFrom The Department of Physiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City, and W. S. RootFrom The Department of Physiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York CityPublished Online:01 Dec 1945https://doi.org/10.1152/ajplegacy.1945.145.2.239MoreSectionsPDF (2 MB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat Previous Back to Top Next Download PDF FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Cited ByAnalysis of factors that influence rates of carbon monoxide uptake, distribution, and washout from blood and extravascular tissues using a multicompartment modelMargaret C. Bruce, and Eugene N. Bruce1 April 2006 | Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol. 100, No. 4 More from this issue > Volume 145Issue 2December 1945Pages 239-252 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1945 by American Physiological Societyhttps://doi.org/10.1152/ajplegacy.1945.145.2.239PubMed21009265History Received 1 October 1945 Published online 1 December 1945 Published in print 1 December 1945 Metrics

THE STRENGTH OF DIGITALIS IN CLINICAL USE

Several instances of serious digitalis intoxication and many of mild poisoning by the drug, even in the practice of the best hospitals and of experienced clinicians, have during the past year called our attention to the need of a brief but forceful note of clarification and of warning. There is at present considerable confusion with regard to the potency of digitalis used in medical practice. Two factors are chiefly responsible for this state of uncertainty: (1) the adoption by the United States Pharmacopeia in 1936 of an official U. S. P. XI digitalis powder with a potency considerably greater than the U. S. P. X digitalis employed prior to 1936 and (2) the acceptance of the U. S. P. XI unit by some, but not by all, of the nationally known pharmaceutic firms. THE STANDARDIZATION OF DIGITALIS The latest revision of the United States Pharmacopeia (eleventh), which became official on

Illustrations of Fungi—XIII

The accompanying plate illustrates several species of boletes collected either near Bronx Park, New York City, or in the vicinity of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. These are fleshy fungi with tubes instead of gills, usually occurring on the ground in woods during late summer and autumn. They are difficult to distinguish, even in the fresh state, and when the large amount of water they contain is eliminated the dried specimens bear little resemblance to the originals. Many of the best edible fungi in temperate regions belong to this group, and the dangers of being poisoned are relatively small. Species with bitter or otherwise objectionable taste should be avoided, and especially all plants having red or reddish tubemouths. The sensitive bolete, which promptly turns blue when touched or broken, has also caused mild poisoning in some cases. Many species have not been thoroughly tested, however; hence it is wise to eat sparingly of all such plants until well known. For a complete treatment of the Boletaceae known to occur in this country, the student is referred to NORTH AMERICAN FLORA, volume 9, part 3, where the species are fully described and arranged under eleven genera with specific keys.