Hypophosphataemic osteomalacia due to cadmium exposure in the silver industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Paul ◽  
K E Cherian ◽  
N Thomas ◽  
T V Paul

Abstract Chronic heavy metal exposure and the health hazards that ensue are important public-health problems. We highlight the occurrence of hypophosphataemic osteomalacia due to chronic cadmium exposure in the silver industry in India. Three silversmiths presented similarly with clinical, biochemical and radiological evidence of hypophosphataemic osteomalacia. Considering their occupation, their blood samples were screened for heavy metals and were found to have toxic levels of cadmium. They were initiated on neutral phosphate and calcitriol. On follow-up, they reported significant reduction in severity of symptoms. It is essential to maintain a high index of suspicion in diagnosing this condition. A thorough knowledge of the occupational background of patients, as well as ambient conditions at the workplace is of utmost importance in contemplating the possibility of such rare occurrences. Moreover, regulatory agencies and policy makers ought to survey the silver industry and ensure that the metals used are within permissible safe limits of exposure.

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e039541
Author(s):  
Jun Ho Ji ◽  
Mi Hyeon Jin ◽  
Jung-Hun Kang ◽  
Soon Il Lee ◽  
Suee Lee ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo investigate the associations between heavy metal exposure and serum ferritin levels, physical measurements and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).DesignA retrospective cohort study.SettingChangwon, the location of this study, is a Korean representative industrial city. Data were obtained from medical check-ups between 2002 and 2018.ParticipantsA total of 34 814 male subjects were included. Of them, 1035 subjects with lead exposure, 200 subjects with cadmium exposure and the 33 579 remaining were assigned to cohort A, cohort B and the control cohort, respectively. Data including personal history of alcohol and smoking, age, height, weight, the follow-up duration, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS), ferritin levels, and lead and cadmium levels within 1 year after exposure were collected.Primary outcome measureIn subjects without diabetes, changes in FBS and HbA1c were analysed through repeated tests at intervals of 1 year or longer after the occupational exposure to heavy metals.ResultsIn Cohort A, DM was diagnosed in 33 subjects. There was a significant difference in lead concentrations between the subjects diagnosed with DM and those without DM during the follow-up period (3.94±2.92 mg/dL vs 2.81±2.03 mg/dL, p=0.002). Simple exposure to heavy metals (lead and cadmium) was not associated with DM in Cox regression models (lead exposure (HR) 1.01, 95% CI: 0.58 to 1.77, p 0.971; cadmium exposure HR 1.48, 95% CI: 0.61 to 3.55, p=0.385). Annual changes in FBS according to lead concentration at the beginning of exposure showed a positive correlation (r=0.072, p=0.032).ConclusionOur findings demonstrated that simple occupational exposure to heavy metals lead and cadmium was not associated with the incidence of DM. However, lead concentrations at the beginning of the exposure might be an indicator of DM and glucose elevations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 273 ◽  
pp. 116529
Author(s):  
Minwei Chai ◽  
Ruili Li ◽  
Yuan Gong ◽  
Xiaoxue Shen ◽  
Lingyun Yu

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nam Hee Kim ◽  
Young Youl Hyun ◽  
Kyu-Beck Lee ◽  
Yoosoo Chang ◽  
Seungho Rhu ◽  
...  

2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 716-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kris LL Movig ◽  
Antoine CG Egberts ◽  
Albert W Lenderink ◽  
Hubert GM Leufkens

BACKGROUND: Daily clinical practice often differs largely from the clinical trial setting, so extrapolation of outcomes from trial data, such as safety, effectiveness, and economic outcomes, can be deceptive. Prescribers may intend to treat a selected group of patients with new drugs; this practice could result in significant bias in assessing outcomes of these agents during their use in daily clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate what type of patient received tolterodine compared with the spasmolytic drugs previously marketed (oxybutynin, flavoxate, emepronium). DESIGN: An observational, follow-up study. SETTING: Eighteen collaborating community pharmacies. PATIENTS: Aged ≥18 years, noninstitutionalized; initial therapy with tolterodine, oxybutynin, flavoxate, or emepronium. RESULTS: Tolterodine was often used as a second-line and even as a third-line treatment, and was prescribed to a “polluted” population in terms of concomitant psychotropic medication. Tolterodine users were 7.5 times more likely to have received another spasmolytic drug (RR 7.5, 95% CI 4.8 to 11.9). In addition, these patients more frequently used antiparkinsonian drugs (RR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6 to 10.4) as well as antipsychotic drugs (RR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4 to 6.2). There was a small difference in concomitant use of antidepressants and benzodiazepines between patients receiving tolterodine versus those taking other spasmolytic drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Tolterodine is prescribed for a population differing from that receiving previously marketed spasmolytic drugs. Selective prescribing should be recognized when evaluating new drugs in daily clinical practice. Policy makers, such as pharmacy and therapeutics committees, should consider this aspect in their formulary decisions since selective prescribing can lead to unjustified conclusions about a drug's therapeutic effects (e.g., efficacy, safety, cost-effectiveness).


2006 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 497-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J McCrystal ◽  
C Bond

Cricotracheal separation (CTS) is an uncommon injury, with a high index of suspicion required to establish the diagnosis. Computerized tomography (CT) plays a role in diagnosis but cannot necessarily be relied upon. Bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsies are usually associated with this type of injury. We recently treated a patient with CTS in whom one RLN was intact from the time of the injury and the other nerve recovered within three months. Computed tomography was inconclusive.Early open repair of the injury and frequent follow-up examinations led to successful decannulation after six weeks and excellent short-term voice and airway outcomes.A detailed discussion of this unusual case is followed by a review of the current literature on CTS, with particular emphasis on significant management dilemmas and controversies.Clinical suspicion remains more sensitive than investigations in diagnosing CTS. Permanent bilateral RLN palsies are not inevitable following these injuries.


2016 ◽  
Vol 98 (7) ◽  
pp. 456-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
MP Senthilkumar ◽  
N Battula ◽  
MTPR Perera ◽  
R Marudanayagam ◽  
J Isaac ◽  
...  

Introduction Symptomatic hepatic-artery pseudoaneurysm (HAP) after bile-duct injury (BDI) is a rare complication with a varied (but clinically urgent) presentation. Methods A prospectively maintained database of all patients with BDI at laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) referred to a tertiary specialist hepatobiliary centre between 1992 and 2011 was searched systematically to identify patients with a symptomatic HAP. Care and outcome of these patients was studied. Results Eight (6 men) of 236 patients with BDI (3.4%) with a median age of 65 (range: 54?6) years presented with symptomatic HAP. Median time of presentation of the HAP from the index LC was 31 (range: 13?16) days. Bleeding was the dominant presentation in 7 patients. One patient presented late (>2 years) with abdominal pain alone. Computed tomography angiography was the most useful investigation. Angioembolisation was successful in 7 patients. One patient died, and another patient developed liver infarction. Three patients (38%) developed biliary strictures after embolisation. Seven patients are alive and well at a median follow-up of 66 months. Conclusions Presentation of HAP is often delayed. A high index of suspicion is necessary for the diagnosis. Computed tomography angiography is the first-line investigation and selective angioembolisation can yield successful outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayanth Moode ◽  
◽  
KASSN Kalyan ◽  
Lakshmi Kona ◽  
◽  
...  

Introduction: Gastrointestinal (GI) leaks are one of the most dreaded complications following bariatric surgery because of the difficulty in diagnosing them and the associated increased morbidity and mortality. Case report: Presenting one such case of 49 yr old gentleman who was on follow-up post bariatric surgery presented lately as acute abdomen and diagnosed as GI perforation and further evaluation and procedure carried out. Discussion: GI leakage after bariatric surgery has been identified as an independent risk factor associated with perioperative death. This highlights the importance of high index of suspicion for diagnosis of this potentially lethal complication. A positive radiology should not be awaited for before exploring patients in whom the diagnosis is still unclear. Conclusion: Histopathologic examination (HPE) remains one of the major diagnostic tools in mycology because it permits rapid, presumptive identification of fungal infections, even when blood cultures are negative. There are different ways to manage leaks, depending on the magnitude of the collection and the clinical presentation. Keywords: surgical pathology; gastrointestinal candidiasis; diagnosis; mini gastric bypass; bariatric surgery; candida.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document