Pharmaceutical and chemical pediatric poisoning in Kuwait: a retrospective survey.

Unlabelled: Past studies of pediatric poisoning in Kuwait have suggested differences at hospital level which could impact on the implementation of public health interventions. The objective was to compare pediatric poisoning admissions at general hospitals in Kuwait.

Methods: Retrospective survey of all pediatric poisoning cases at the six general hospitals from January 2004 to December 2005.

Drug information in Zimbabwe: 1990-1999.

Objective: To assess the utilisation and development of the Zimbabwe Drug And Toxicology Information Service (DATIS) SETTING: The national drug and poisons information centre in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Method: A survey of records at the Zimbabwe national Drug and Toxicology Information Service (DaTIS) for the period January 1990 to December 1999 was conducted and compared to a previous review.

Main Outcome Measures: Average annual reporting rate, distribution of service users and report categories

Results: The mean (SD) reporting rate was 142.

Drug information resources at private community pharmacies in Kuwait.

Objective: To investigate the drug information resources available in private community pharmacies in Kuwait.

Materials And Methods: Pharmacists at a sample of 20 private community (retail) pharmacies completed a self-administered questionnaire of available information resources and perceived appropriate information resources to answer five drug information questions.

Results: All pharmacies had at least one reference book but they were outdated.

Disposal of unwanted medicines from households in Kuwait.

Objective: To test the effectiveness of a simple educational intervention to encourage households to return unwanted medicines via a municipal collection program and to investigate the most common sources and types of unwanted medicines in the home.

Setting: Households in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

Method: A convenience sample of 200 households in Kuwait received an educational letter and special plastic bags in which to place unwanted medicines to be collected by the municipality.

Practice and opinion towards disposal of unused medication in Kuwait.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure the attitude and practice of Kuwaiti patients in Kuwait with regard to safe disposal of unwanted medicines.

Subjects And Methods: Three-hundred patients or their family members waiting for prescriptions at public general hospitals in Kuwait completed a questionnaire soliciting their practice with regard to medication use and disposal, and their opinion of the best way to dispose of unwanted medicines.

Results: Almost half of the respondents (45.

Advertising and disclosure of funding on patient organisation websites: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: Patient organisations may be exposed to conflicts of interest and undue influence through pharmaceutical industry (Pharma) donations. We examined advertising and disclosure of financial support by pharmaceutical companies on the websites of major patient organisations.

Method: Sixty-nine national and international patient organisations covering 10 disease states were identified using a defined Google search strategy.

Awareness and perceptions of emergency contraception among retail pharmacists in Kuwait.

Objective: To describe the awareness and perceptions of hormonal emergency contraception (EC) among retail pharmacists.

Setting: Private retail pharmacies in Kuwait City.

Method: A self-administered questionnaire was developed to elicit pertinent demographic information as well as awareness of and concerns about EC and administered to the senior pharmacist in 51 randomly selected private retail pharmacies.

Awareness of hormonal emergency contraception among married women in a Kuwaiti family social network.

Objective: Awareness and use of hormonal emergency contraception are not known in the Arab world. This study investigated awareness and perceptions of hormonal emergency contraception among women within a Kuwaiti extended family and their social contacts.

Study Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed to 66 married women within a Kuwaiti family's social network.

Awareness of and attitude toward hormonal emergency contraception among married women in Kuwait.

Objective: To describe the awareness of and attitudes toward hormonal emergency contraception among women in Kuwait.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among married women at obstetrics/gynecology outpatient clinics at the government Maternity Hospital in Kuwait. A pretested Arabic self-administered questionnaire was distributed to the women in March 2005.

Toxicoepidemiology in Zimbabwe: pesticide poisoning admissions to major hospitals.

Background: Acute pesticide poisoning (APP) is a well-recognized cause of morbidity and mortality but is not well described in developing countries. We describe the toxicoepidemiology of APP in Zimbabwe.

Methods: All cases of APP admitted to eight major referral hospitals in Zimbabwe from January 1998 to December 1999 (inclusive) were identified using ICD-9 codes and ward registers and relevant information recorded on a standard data collection sheet.