Reassessing clinical presentations of emamectin benzoate poisoning: A comprehensive study.

Background: The mechanism of emamectin benzoate (EMB-a macrocyclic lactone insecticide like abamectin) action involves the disruption of glutamate-gated chloride channels and GABA receptors in insects, leading to paralysis and death. EMB overdose can breach the blood-brain barrier, resulting in severe poisoning and altered consciousness.

Aim: Review EMB poisoning presentations in patients and reevaluate clinical manifestations.

Rat Bait, Not Healthy Rice!

Bromadiolone, a potent, long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide is frequently tinted to a red or pink color and mixed with cereals as rat bait. Six peoples working in a small factory suffered from a severe bleeding tendency several weeks after consuming a rice meal that was tainted with bromadiolone mistaken to be healthy food. High serum levels of bromadiolone and excessive bleeding were found in these individuals, and they needed vitamin K1 therapy for weeks.

Oral administration of injectable vitamin K1 in brodifacoum intoxication.

Brodifacoum is a highly potent and long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide (LAAR). LAAR poisoning possibly leads to long term bleeding problems and needs vitamin K1 treatment for several months. Due to economic concern, tablet preparation of vitamin K1 was not available in most of the countries, including Taiwan.

Local Cytotoxic Effects in Cobra Envenoming: A Pilot Study.

The cobra (genus ()) is one of the most common venomous snakes. Due to its frequency and deadly complications of muscle paralysis, local necrosis, and chronic musculoskeletal disability, it should not be ignored. The pathology of devastating tissue destruction, even though specific antivenoms exist, is not fully clear.

Lead poisoning due to incense burning: an outbreak in a family.

Background: In Asia and some other regions of the world, incense burning is an important folk and cultural activity. However, this ritual can cause health impacts, such as chronic respiratory diseases and neoplasms. Herein, we describe a family with lead poisoning possibly related to the frequent use of incense sticks at home.

Presentations of tetramethylammonium hydroxide dermal exposure and the valuable potential of diphoterine solution in decontamination: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) is a quaternary ammonium compound that is both a base corrosive and a cholinergic agonist, and it is widely used in the photoelectric and semiconductor industries. It causes corrosive skin injuries and systemic cholinergic toxicity with death primarily resulting from respiratory failure without efficacious early decontamination.

Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed of all cases of TMAH exposure reported to the Taiwan Poison Control Center between July 2010 and October 2017.

Collocation of avian and mammal antibodies to develop a rapid and sensitive diagnostic tool for Russell's Vipers Snakebite.

Russell's vipers (RVs) envenoming is an important public health issue in South-East Asia. Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, systemic bleeding, hemolysis, and acute renal injury are obvious problems that develop in most cases, and neuromuscular junction blocks are an additional problem caused by western RV snakebite. The complex presentations usually are an obstacle to early diagnosis and antivenom administration.

A Rapid and International Applicable Diagnostic Device for Cobra (Genus ) Snakebites.

Cobra snakes (genus ) are some of the most dangerous snake species in Asia and Africa, as their bites cause severe life-threatening respiratory failure and local tissue destruction, especially in the case of late diagnosis. The differential diagnosis of snakebite envenomation still mainly relies upon symptomatology, the patient's description, and the experience of physicians. We have designed a rapid test, immunochromatographic test of cobra (ICT-Cobra), which obtained fair results in improving the diagnosis and treatment of snakebites in Taiwan.

Oxidative storm in a patient with acute rotenone-containing plant poisoning.

A 64-year-old woman presented with coma, seizure, and lactic acidosis after ingesting 80 yam bean seeds. This rotenone-containing seeds cause cellular asphyxia via blockage of the mitochondrial electron transport. Subsequent oxidative stress results in the formation of lipid peroxidation (LPO).

Alcohol use disorder tied to development of chronic kidney disease: A nationwide database analysis.

Introduction: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a spectrum of high risk behaviors including alcohol abuse and dependence. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is progressive loss of renal function for more or equal to 3 months or presence of any irreversible kidney damage. Common risk factors of CKD have been identified, but the impact of alcohol consumption on kidney function is controversial.

Increased risk of pyogenic liver abscess in patients with alcohol intoxication: A population-based retrospective cohort study.

We designed a population-based retrospective cohort study to investigate the association between the event of alcohol intoxication and the risk of pyogenic liver abscess. The present study enrolled 245,076 patients with a history of alcohol intoxication from 2000 to 2010 and matched each of them with four comparison patients, with similar mean age and sex ratios. We determined the cumulative incidences and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of liver abscess.

The effectiveness of patient-tailored treatment for acute organophosphate poisoning.

Background: To determine a new pralidoxime (PAM) treatment guideline based on the severity of acute organophosphate intoxication patients, APACHE II score, and dynamic changes in serum butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity.

Methods: This is a randomization trial. All patients received supportive care measurements and atropinization.

Association between antiepileptic drugs and hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with epilepsy: a population-based case-control study.

Background: This study explored whether antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) use increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We conducted a case-control study using data from the National Health Insurance system of Taiwan. The case group comprised 1,454 epilepsy patients with newly diagnosed HCC, and the control group comprised 1,448 epilepsy patients without HCC.

Etoposide induces pancreatic β-cells cytotoxicity via the JNK/ERK/GSK-3 signaling-mediated mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway.

Etoposide is widely used in the treatment of the different types of tumors such as pancreatic cancer. However, etoposide also causes several unwanted side-effects in normal viable cells, including pancreatic β-cells, which are vulnerable to chemical-induced injuries, and the molecular mechanisms underlying etoposide-induced apoptosis are still unclear. Here, the results showed that in RIN-m5F cells (a β-cell-derived cell line), the number of viable cells was significantly decreased after 24h of etoposide treatment and underwent mitochondria-dependent apoptotic signals accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction, and increases in the population of sub-G1 hypodiploid cells and apoptotic cells, caspase-3 activity, and the activation of caspase cascades.

Bacteriology of Naja atra Snakebite Wound and Its Implications for Antibiotic Therapy.

A total of 112 cases of Naja atra envenomation were examined at two referring hospitals: Taichung Veterans General Hospital in central Taiwan and Taipei Veterans General Hospital (VGH-TP) in northern Taiwan. Overall, 77% (86/112) of cases developed clinically suspected wound infections and 54% (61/112) required surgery secondary to tissue necrosis, finger or toe gangrene, and/or necrotizing fasciitis. Morganella morganii was the most abundant gram-negative bacterial strain isolated from bite wounds, followed by Proteus spp.

Increased Risk of Mesenteric Ischemia in Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objective: To investigate the association between alcohol use disorder and the risk of mesenteric ischemia by conducting a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Patients And Methods: The present study enrolled 62,115 patients hospitalized for alcoholic intoxication between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2009, and matched each of them with 4 comparison patients with similar mean age and sex ratios. We determined the cumulative incidences and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of mesenteric ischemia.

Relationship Between Acute Benzodiazepine Poisoning and Acute Pancreatitis Risk: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

We designed a population-based retrospective cohort study to investigate the association between the event of benzodiazepine (BZD) poisoning and the risk of acute pancreatitis.In the present study, 12,893 patients with BZD poisoning during 2000 to 2011 were enrolled and matched with 4 comparison patients according to mean age and sex. We determined the cumulative incidences and adjusted hazard ratios of acute pancreatitis.

Association between ischemic stroke and carbon monoxide poisoning: A population-based retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: The long-term consequence of cardiovascular health has not been evaluated for patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. This study evaluated the risk of ischemic stroke using population-based data.

Methods: We identified 8705 inpatients with CO intoxication diagnosed from 2000 to 2011 from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

The Long-Term Effects of Organophosphates Poisoning as a Risk Factor of CVDs: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Organophosphorus pesticides are widely used throughout the world. Because of their ease of availability, organophosphorus compounds are commonly used for self-poisoning in developing countries. The acute effects of exposure to organophosphorus pesticides are well known, but the chronic effects are unclear.

Tamoxifen Treatment and the Reduced Risk of Hyperlipidemia in Asian Patients With Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Purpose: The association between tamoxifen (TMX) treatment and the risk of developing hyperlipidemia remains unclear.

Methods: The records of 41,726 patients with breast cancer (28,266 received TMX and 13,460 did not) were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for the period from January 2000 to December 2008. Three-fold women without breast cancer were the control group (N = 125, 178).

Antiarrhythmic agents and the risk of malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine the association between the use of antiarrhythmic agents and the risk of malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts (MNLIHD).

Methods: We used the research database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program to conduct a population-based, case-control study. We identified 9944 patients with antiarrhythmic history who were first diagnosed as having MNLIHD between 2005 and 2010.