Metal phosphide poisoning in a disaster-stricken area. Can early hemodialysis improve outcomes?

Background: Phosphide metal poisoning results in tens of thousands of fatalities per year worldwide. The mortality in critically ill patients often exceeds 50%. The available treatment is supportive and there is no antidote.

Developing a Model for Quantifying QTc-Prolongation Risk to Enhance Medication Safety Assessment: A Retrospective Analysis.

There are currently no established methods to predict quantitatively whether the start of a drug with the potential to prolong the QTc interval poses patients at risk for relevant QTc prolongation. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to pave the way for the development of models for estimating QTc prolongation in patients newly exposed to medications with QTc-prolonging potential. Data of patients with a documented QTc prolongation after initiation of a QTc-prolonging drug were extracted from hospital charts.

Incapacitating agents review: 20 years after Nord Ost Siege.

Incapacitating agents are chemical weapons that produce a temporary disabling condition that persists for hours or days after exposure. Their main site of action is the central nervous system and includes substances that are considered depressants or stimulants. While not intended to cause death, can produce significant morbidity in affected patients.

The Toxic Effects of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) on Gut Microbiota: Bisphenol A (BPA) A Review.

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA), an important industrial material widely applied in daily products, is considered an endocrine-disrupting chemical that may adversely affect humans. Growing evidence has shown that intestinal bacterial alterations caused by BPA exposure play an important role in several local and systemic diseases.

Aims: Finding evidence that BPA-induced alterations in gut microbiota composition and activity may perturb its role on human health.

Knowledge and practices of community pharmacists towards non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics in Northern Nigeria.

Background Non-prescription dispensing of antibiotics is common in Nigeria and this could contribute to the emergence of microbial resistance. Objectives To evaluate knowledge, perception and practices of community pharmacists towards dispensing antibiotics without prescription. Setting Community pharmacies in two cities in Northern Nigeria.

Impact of graphic pack warnings on adult smokers' quitting activities: Findings from the ITC Southeast Asia Survey (2005-2014).

Malaysia introduced graphic health warning labels (GHWLs) on all tobacco packages in 2009. We aimed to examine if implementing GHWLs led to stronger warning reactions (e.g.

Impact of Point-of-Sale Tobacco Display Bans in Thailand: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Southeast Asia Survey.

In September 2005 Thailand became the first Asian country to implement a complete ban on the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products at point-of-sale (POS). This paper examined the impact of the POS tobacco display ban in Thailand, with Malaysia (which did not impose bans) serving as a comparison. The data came from the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey (2005-2011), a prospective cohort survey designed to evaluate the psychosocial and behavioral impacts of tobacco control policies.

Stronger pack warnings predict quitting more than weaker ones: finding from the ITC Malaysia and Thailand surveys.

Background: We examined the impact of cigarette pack warning labels on interest in quitting and subsequent quit attempts among adult smokers in Malaysia and Thailand.

Methods: Two overlapping cohorts of adults who reported smoking factory- made cigarettes from Malaysia and Thailand were interviewed face-to-face (3189 were surveyed at baseline and 1781 re-contacted at Wave 2; 2361 current smokers were surveyed at Wave 2 and 1586 re-contacted at Wave 3). In Thailand at baseline, large text only warnings were assessed, while at Wave 2 new large graphic warnings were assessed.

An assessment of the effectiveness of tobacco control measures on behavior changes related to tobacco use among adolescents and young adults in a district in Sri Lanka.

Introduction: Sri Lanka became a signatory to the WHO Frame Work Convention on Tobacco Control in September 2003, and this was ratified in November 2003. With a view to reduce the use of tobacco in Sri Lanka, the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act (NATA) No. 27 of 2006 was implemented.

Effectiveness of antismoking media messages and education among adolescents in Malaysia and Thailand: findings from the international tobacco control southeast Asia project.

Introduction: Finding ways to discourage adolescents from taking up smoking is important because those who begin smoking at an earlier age are more likely to become addicted and have greater difficulty in quitting. This article examined whether anti smoking messages and education could help to reduce smoking susceptibility among adolescents in two Southeast Asian countries and to explore the possible moderating effect of country and gender.

Methods: Data came from Wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Project (ITC-SEA) survey conducted in Malaysia (n = 1,008) and Thailand (n = 1,000) where adolescents were asked about receiving antismoking advice from nurses or doctors, being taught at schools about the danger of smoking, noticing antismoking messages, knowledge of health effects of smoking, beliefs about the health risks of smoking, smoking susceptibility, and demographic information.

The role of GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1, and OGG1 polymorphisms in type 2 diabetes mellitus risk: a case-control study in a Turkish population.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of some polymorphisms in GSTs (GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1) which are very important protective mechanisms against oxidative stress and in OGG1 gene which is important in DNA repair, against the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). 127 T2DM and 127 control subjects were included in the study. DNA was extracted from whole blood.

Impact of the new Malaysian cigarette pack warnings on smokers' awareness of health risks and interest in quitting smoking.

The objective of this research was to compare the response of adult smokers in Malaysia to newly proposed pictorial cigarette warnings against the current text-only warnings. The study population included 140 adult male smokers who were enrolled in a randomized trial to view either the new pictorial warnings (intervention) or the old text-only warnings (control). Participants completed pre-exposure and post-exposure questionnaires that assessed their awareness of the health risks of smoking, response to the package warnings, and interest in quitting smoking.

Agreement between questionnaire and medical records on some health and socioeconomic problems among poisoning cases.

Background: The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the agreement between questionnaire and medical records on some health and socioeconomic problems among poisoning cases.

Methods: Cross-sectional sample of 100 poisoning cases consecutively admitted to the Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia during the period from September 2003 to February 2004 were studied. Data on health and socioeconomic problems were collected both by self-administered questionnaire and from medical records.

Smokers' responses toward cigarette pack warning labels in predicting quit intention, stage of change, and self-efficacy.

Introduction: This paper is concerned with the effects of cigarette pack warning labels on quitting intentions. We examined whether different responses among smokers toward cigarette pack warning labels could predict quit intentions and self-efficacy in quitting. Variables studied were "noticing warning labels during last month," "reading or looking closely at warning labels," "avoiding looking at labels during last month," "thinking about health risks of smoking because of the warning labels, "more likely to quit because of the warning labels," and "stopping from having a cigarette when about to smoke one because of the labels.

Self-poisoning by drugs and chemicals: variations in demographics, associated factors and final outcomes.

Objective: Drug overdose exposures were compared with chemical poisoning in terms of demographics, associated factors and final outcomes.

Method: Deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) cases admitted to Penang General Hospital during the years 2000-2004 were studied. Chi-square, independent t-test and binary logistic were used whenever applicable.

Unintentional ingestion of 60% hydrogen peroxide by a six-year-old child.

Ingestion of industrial-strength hydrogen peroxide is rare. Fatal outcomes have been reported with solutions of 35%. We report a six-year-old boy who unintentionally ingested an unknown quantity of hydrogen peroxide with a concentration of 60%.

An unusual cause of burn injury: skin exposure to monochloroacetic acid.

Chemical burns can be complicated by the absorption of some of the toxic products through the skin and a subsequent systemic toxicity. We report here the case of a 3-year-old child who was accidentally exposed to monochloroacetic acid and sent to our burn unit with second-degree burn wounds. Regardless of the entry route, monochloroacetic is rapidly and very effectively absorbed and induces a severe toxic syndrome.

The anti-anesthetic action of idazoxan.

A possible anti-anesthetic effect of idazoxan using the depth versus latency of cortical cellular response and somatosensory evoked potentials as indices of anesthesia was studied. With the administration of 10 mg/kg (i.p.

Taiwan National Poison Center: epidemiologic data 1985-1993.

Unlabelled: The Taiwan National Poison Center has received more than 30,000 telephone calls since its establishment in July 1985.

Objective: To obtain more information about poisoning exposures in Taiwan, a retrospective analysis was conducted of all telephone calls to the center concerning human poisoning exposures July 1985 through December 1993.

Methods: The following data were tabulated: age, sex, intent of exposure, route of exposure, substances ingested and clinical severity.

[Ethanol intoxication treated with flumazenil: a case report].

Ethanol possesses anxiolytic and anticonflict effect in low dose, but exhibits consciousness depression in higher serum level. It also has addictive effects on benzodiazepines (BZD) and its mechanism has been thought to be closely related to GABA-BZD receptor complex. Flumazenil is a well-known potent antagonist in benzodiazepine intoxication.

The essential role of a poison center in handling an outbreak of barium carbonate poisoning.

Acute barium salt poisoning may cause acute hypokalemia and result in respiratory paralysis and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. The early nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms of barium poisoning due to food contamination could be confused with other benign food poisonings. Early diagnosis and initiation of intensive supportive care is essential.