Usefulness of Adenosinetriphosphate Bioluminescence Assay (ATPmetry) for Monitoring the Reprocessing of Endoscopes.

Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of an adenosinetriphosphate bioluminescence assay (ATPmetry) to monitor the effectiveness of the reprocessing of endoscopes compared with microbiologic sampling.

Design: Diagnostic study.

Setting: A 2,200-bed teaching hospital performing 5,000 to 6,000 endoscopic procedures annually.

Evaluation of the Quality of Reprocessing of Gastrointestinal Endoscopes.

Objectives: To evaluate the quality of gastrointestinal endoscope reprocessing and discuss the advantages of microbiological surveillance testing of these endoscopes.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of the results of endoscope sampling performed from October 1, 2006, through December 31, 2014, in a gastrointestinal endoscopy unit of a teaching hospital equipped with 89 endoscopes and 3 automated endoscope reprocessors, with an endoscopy quality assurance program in place. The compliance rate was defined as the proportion of the results classified at target or alert levels according to the French guidelines.

Deliberate drug poisoning with slight symptoms on admission: are there predictive factors for intensive care unit referral? A three-year retrospective study.

Deliberate drug poisoning leads to 1% of emergency department (ED) admissions. Even if most patients do not exhibit any significant complication, 5% need to be referred to an intensive care unit (ICU). Emergency physicians should distinguish between low- and high-acuity poisoned patients at an early stage to avoid excess morbidity.

Mycophilic or mycophobic? Legislation and guidelines on wild mushroom commerce reveal different consumption behaviour in European countries.

Mycophiles forage for and pick vast quantities of a wide variety of wild mushroom species. As a result, mushroom intoxications are comparatively frequent in such countries with mycophiles. Thus, national governments are forced to release guidelines or enact legislation in order to ensure the safe commerce of wild mushrooms due to food safety concerns.

Dysgeusia following consumption of pine nuts: more than 3000 cases in France.

Introduction: In March 2008, French poison centres (PCs) recorded the first calls reporting persistent bitterness following the ingestion of pine nuts.

Methods: The French toxic exposure surveillance system (French-Tess) was searched and a descriptive analysis of cases was performed on data recorded from 13 March 2008 to 31 January 2010.

Results: Some 3111 cases of bitterness were reported to PCs.

[Acute acetaminophen overdose].

Acute ingestion of acetaminophen can induce a dose-dependent hepatotoxicity and lead to death. The management of acute acetaminophen poisoning at the early stage is well codified. A reported amount of ingestion > 200 mg/kg in a child, > 150 mg/kg in an adult (125 mg/kg if risk factors are present) require hospitalisation.

New syndromes in mushroom poisoning.

Several new mushroom poisoning syndromes have been described since the early 1990s. In these syndromes, the onset of symptoms generally occurs >6 hours after ingestion. Treatment is mainly supportive.

Influence of set-up conditions of exposure indicators on the estimate of short-term associations between urban pollution and mortality.

In the past few years many studies on air pollution and health based on time series have been carried out. Yet, this approach does not assess exposure to air pollution at an individual level but it is based on ambient concentrations measured by air quality monitoring networks. Questions on the estimates of exposure to pollutants have been raised, in particular the fact that background measuring stations only have been considered in the set up of pollution indicators.

[Acute higher funghi mushroom poisoning and its treatment].

Principle: The various mushroom poisoning syndromes are summarised together with elements underlining uncertainty and lack of knowledge. For each of the classical syndromes concerned, classified in delays inferior or superior to 6 hours, the toxins and their mechanisms of action, the main mushrooms responsible, the symptoms and their treatment are all presented.

Early Syndromes: Characterised by early onset within 6 hours, these represent the majority of intoxications.

Carbon monoxide poisoning monitoring network: a five-year experience of household poisonings in two French regions.

Background: In France, the epidemiological situation of acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is only partially known. The purpose of this study was to assess the epidemiological situation of household poisonings in two French regions where a regional toxicovigilance network was active.

Methods: During five years, we studied, by means of a standardized data collection form, cases of acute CO poisoning admitted to regional hospitals and notified by hospital physicians.

Short-term effects of air pollution on mortality in nine French cities: a quantitative summary.

Between 1990 and 1995, 9 French cities provided data on daily air pollution, total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and respiratory mortality. Personnel in individual cities performed Poisson regressions, controlling for trends in seasons, calendar effects, influenza epidemics, temperature, and humidity, to assess the short-term effects of air pollution. The authors describe results obtained from the quantitative pooling of these local analyses.