PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1961 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-500
Author(s):  
George W. Wheatley
Keyword(s):  
National Health Survey ◽  
Accident Prevention ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Accidental Poisoning ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Organized Medicine ◽  
Poisoning In Children

ABOUT 10 years ago when the Committee on Accident Prevention was created, the Academy focused national attention on accidents as the No. 1 cause of death in childhood and a major contributor to disability, disfigurement and crippling. One of the most spectacular features of this Committee's program is its efforts to prevent and treat poisoning in children, as demonstrated by the amazing growth of poison control centers. Through these community facilities, valuable data on the occurrence and frequency of childhood poisoning have been brought to light. This information has documented an impression held for a long time by many pediatricians: namely, that the creativeness of modern chemistry is both a boon and a bane, the latter all too often in the case of toddlers from about 1 to 4 years of age. Legislation has always been one of the most important means of accident prevention, including accidental poisoning. For example, an early and very effective law aimed at reducing lye burns and deaths from corrosive poisoning in children was the Federal Caustic Poisons Act of 1927, which was developed with the support of organized medicine, under the able leadership of Chevalier Jackson, Sr. But as new products and new hazards increased, new legislation was required for greater protection. The Federal Hazardous Substances Labeling Act of July 1960 grew out of the concerted efforts of organized medicine and the industries concerned. This law now adds a new dimension to health protection from a wide variety of hazardous products found in or about the home, in addition to the 12 substances formerly labeled "Poison" under the old Caustic Poisons Act. Hazardous products include those that are flammable, toxic by ingestion, inhalation or absorption, explosive, caustic, irritant or strong sensitizers. Because parents often are not aware of the danger of such products, the articles are readily available to young children for unsafe investigation. Jensen and Wilson reported, in a study of 100 cases of poisonings in children, that "in 53 cases the poison was not in its usual place, either because it was in use, because persons other than the parents had left it out, or because the parents themselves were careless." Recent mortality data reveal that there are at least 1,400 deaths at all ages from solid and liquid substances, with about 450 deaths in children under 5 years. Last year 35,000 cases of accidental poisoning were reported to the National Clearinghouse from 182 centers in 37 States. The National Health Survey has estimated that 822,000 ingestions of toxic substances occur each year. Both the householder and physician will benefit from the requirements of this new law. Information to prevent accidents from household products and to offer appropriate first aid when accidents occur must now be readily available to users and physicians. The hazardous substance must be revealed, together with such precautionary warnings and measures as are necessary for safe use and handling of such products.

scholarly journals Factors Contributing to Kerosene Oil Poisoning in Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-68
Author(s):  
Arun Kumar Singh ◽  
P.K. Gurung
Keyword(s):  
Soft Drink ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Acute Poisoning ◽  
Accidental Poisoning ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Socioeconomic Condition ◽  
Oil Storage ◽  
History Of ◽  
Poisoning In Children

Introduction: Kerosene has been identified as the most common cause of accidental poisoning around the world with majority occurring to either lower or middle income countries. Kerosene poisoning is identified as the fourth leading cause of injury related mortality in children with highest risk for acute poisoning occurring in child under five years of age. Objectives: To identify common factors responsible for exposure to kerosene oil poisoning, its presenting features and outcomes in children. Methods: This was a descriptive study conducted in Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Department, Mayo Hospital / King Edward Medical University Lahore, Pakistan from March to September 2015. Sixty children between the ages of 6 months to 10 years with history of kerosene oil ingestion/ poisoning were enrolled in the study. Information was obtained from guardians or parents. Results: Sixty patients with history of kerosene poisoning were seen during the summer season. Age ranged from 6 months to 10 years. Most patients were from the ages 1 and 3 years and 75% were boys. Most children were from poor socioeconomic condition. The containers were soft drink bottles and plastic bottles; and kitchen and stairs were the common sites of storage. Clinical presentations were cough, vomiting and tachypnea. One child in study died after 8 hours secondary to respiratory complication. Conclusion: Kerosene oil is a common health hazardous substance ingested accidentally by children. There is a need to create public awareness regarding kerosene oil storage and accessibility at home from the younger children.

scholarly journals Modeling of spatial and temporal assessment of territorial risk in case of accidents during transportation of chemically dangerous goods by rail

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Y. Muntian ◽  
◽  
V. S. Cherno ◽  
H. V. Niepieina ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Concentration Field ◽  
Emission Source ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Railway Transport ◽  
Dangerous Goods ◽  
Meteorological Situation ◽  
Temporal Assessment

During the operation of railway transport, various pollutants are emitted into the atmosphere. Sources of pollutants on rail transport are divided into two main classes. The first class is moving sources. The second is stationary sources. From the standpoint of assessing the level of environmental safety and environmental protection, it is necessary to identify two main types of emissions of pollutants. The first type is an organized issue. For example, the emission of fuel combustion products during the operation of a locomotive. The second type is unorganized emission in case of emergencies at the stage of transportation of dangerous goods, their loading or unloading. For example, depressurization of the tank. This article considers the problem of unorganized emissions of chemically hazardous substances into the atmosphere during the operation of railway rolling stock. The transport of dangerous goods by rail poses a potential threat of large-scale environmental pollution in case of emergencies. The analysis of the situation shows that accidents on the railways of Ukraine occur quite often. The main causes of emergencies during the transportation of chemically dangerous goods by rail are: mechanical damage to capacitive equipment; corrosion, thermal action on capacitive equipment; depressurization of shut-off valves, welded joints; getting into the capacitive equipment of foreign substances; fatigue phenomena in metal, welded elements; equipment defects; errors during the design, manufacture, installation, repair of equipment; lack of optimization of routes for delivery of chemically dangerous goods to the consumer; collision of a train with motor transport at crossings. We should also not forget about the possibility of sabotage at railway facilities. For example, blasting tracks. During emergencies, large areas of contamination are formed during the transportation of chemically dangerous goods by rail. These pollution zones extend far into the regions adjacent to the railway. There are the following striking factors in emergencies during the transportation of chemically dangerous goods: cloud (train) of toxic substances; the emergence of a fireball; shock wave. One of the main reasons for exceeding the permissible concentrations of toxic substances and carcinogens in the atmosphere in the surrounding area is the emission of exhaust gases during the operation of main and shunting locomotives and in emergencies during the transportation of chemically dangerous goods. In the case of emissions of harmful and chemically hazardous substances in transport, the following tasks must be solved: assessment of the scale of pollution; assessment of potential territorial risk; development of measures to protect the environment from pollution. To solve these problems, it is necessary to develop mathematical models that take into account the specifics of emissions of harmful and dangerous substances at railway facilities. When transporting chemically hazardous substances by rail, an important safety aspect must be taken into account – the distance between tracks, station areas and residential or industrial buildings. It is related to the requirement to protect, first of all, the population, as well as the territory from possible dangerous factors that arise during emergencies. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to forecast risk areas for residents of the adjacent accident site with chemically hazardous substances on the railway track, determine the rate of air pollution in the area and provide recommendations for the evacuation of civilians. In assessing the territorial risk in case of accidents on railway transport, accompanied by the emission of hazardous substances into the atmosphere, the method of spatial-temporal assessment was used. This method takes into account the following factors: the probable value of wind speed and direction; emission intensity; start and end time of the issue; state of the atmosphere; emission source movement. To forecast the territorial risk, it is necessary to know: the emission power of a hazardous substance; place of possible accident; scenario of meteorological situations; concentration field of a dangerous substance, which is formed for a specific meteorological situation. Territorial risk assessment in case of emergency leakage of hazardous substances at the railway station is carried out in two stages. Stage I – the calculation of the concentration field of a dangerous substance for a particular meteorological situation is carried out. Stage II – the calculation of the magnitude of territorial risk for each point of the region, taking into account the specified concentration threshold. Thus, the proposed mathematical model of the method of spatial-temporal assessment of territorial risk in the emission of hazardous substances by rail takes into account various factors. Namely: the influence of different meteorological situations, the power of the emission, the movement of the emission source, the trajectory of the warehouse, and so on. It also shows the speed (time) of propagation of the plume (cloud) of a dangerous substance, which allows the relevant services to carry out the necessary evacuation measures. The mathematical model of the method of spatial-temporal assessment of territorial risk is recommended to be used in the Head Department of the State Emergency Situations Service of Ukraine (DNSU of Ukraine) in Mykolayiv region to assess the consequences of extreme situations at chemically dangerous facilities in the region and transport.

PREVENTIVE IMPLICATIONS OF A STUDY OF 100 POISONINGS IN CHILDREN

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1960 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 490-495
Author(s):  
Gordon D. Jensen ◽  
Wesley W. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Family Member ◽  
Accidental Poisoning ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Poison Control Center ◽  
Control Center ◽  
Safe Place ◽  
Specific Advice ◽  
Usual Location ◽  
Medicine Cabinet

One hundred cases of accidental poisoning occurring in Seattle, Washington, during the summer of 1958 and referred through the Poison Control Center were studied. Although this group probably was not representative of all Seattle children in whom poisonings occurred during this period, the information gained from a study of the circumstances leading to the poisonings has important preventive implications. Eighty-two of the children were between 1 and 3 years of age. Aspirin caused 24 poisonings. In 19 of these cases it had been left out by another family member, and only three children found aspirin in the medicine cabinet. The medicine cabinet was the source of the poison in only 4 of the 100 cases. Poisonous berries and toadstools caused 14 poisonings and represent an important local hazard, particularly as most parents were not aware that the berries were harmful. Whereas only 22 of the patients had previously suffered accidents, 25 had been poisoned before, several more than once. In 32 cases there had been recent or concurrent illness in some member of the household. Three circumstances were found to occur commonly, and singly or in combination accounted for 86 of the poisonings: 1) In 26 cases some person other than the parents (siblings, other children, neighbors, relatives, friends) played an important part either by making it possible for the patient to reach the poison or by failing to put it away. 2) In 31 cases the parents did not think that the child could climb, open doors, unscrew caps, or perform other tasks necessary to get the poison. 3) In 53 cases the poison was not in its usual location, either because it was in use, because persons other than the parents had left it out, or because the parents themselves were careless. As most of these parents appeared to have some degree of safety consciousness and at least tried to provide a safe place in which to keep potential poisons, they would probably profit from specific advice based on the most common circumstances under which poisonings occur.

Secondary Contamination of Medical Personnel, Equipment, and Facilities Resulting From Hazardous Materials Events, 2003–2006

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kevin Horton ◽  
Maureen Orr ◽  
Theodora Tsongas ◽  
Richard Leiker ◽  
Vikas Kapil
Keyword(s):  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Hazardous Material ◽  
Medical Facilities ◽  
Initial Release ◽  
Emergency Events ◽  
Contamination Events ◽  
Secondary Contamination

ABSTRACTBackground: When not managed properly, a hazardous material event can quickly extend beyond the boundaries of the initial release, creating the potential for secondary contamination of medical personnel, equipment, and facilities. Secondary contamination generally occurs when primary victims are not decontaminated or are inadequately decontaminated before receiving medical attention. This article examines the secondary contamination events reported to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and offers suggestions for preventing such events.Methods: Data from the ATSDR Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance system were used to conduct a retrospective analysis of hazardous material events occurring in 17 states during 2003 through 2006 involving secondary contamination of medical personnel, equipment, and facilities.Results: Fifteen (0.05%) Hazardous Substances Emergency Events Surveillance events were identified in which secondary contamination occurred. At least 17 medical personnel were injured as a result of secondary contamination while they were treating contaminated victims. Of the medical personnel injured, 12 were emergency medical technicians and 5 were hospital personnel. Respiratory irritation was the most common injury sustained.Conclusions: Adequate preplanning and drills, proper decontamination procedures, good field-to-hospital communication, appropriate use of personal protective equipment, and effective training can help prevent injuries of medical personnel and contamination of transport vehicles and medical facilities. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2008;2:104–113)

SURVEY OF POISON CONTROL CENTERS

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1959 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-364
Author(s):  
Howard M. Cann ◽  
Henry L. Verhulst ◽  
Dorothy S. Neyman
Keyword(s):  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Accidental Poisoning ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Emergency Rooms ◽  
Causal Factors ◽  
Control Center ◽  
Poison Control Centers ◽  
American Academy Of Pediatrics ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Followup Studies

As of April, 1958, there were 124 poison control centers in 40 states and territories. The results of a study of the operations of 102 of these centers are presented. Coordination of activities of poison control centers is desirable, especially where more than one center serve the same area. The American Academy of Pediatrics has led the way in establishing centers all over the country. Increasing numbers of state and local departments of health and medical schools are participating in control of poisonings and strengthening the movement for development of poison control centers. Poison control centers give information concerning toxicity of a variety of products and substances. Many also maintain facilities for treatment of poisoning, but emergency rooms of all hospitals should be equipped to give proper treatment for poisoning. Prevention of accidental poisoning is the best "treatment" for this "disease." Followup studies of patients will uncover significant causal factors and enable effective preventive measures to be instituted. All physicians are encouraged to learn the location and utilize the services of the nearest poison control center.

scholarly journals Radioanalytical Techniques to Quantitatively Assess the Biological Uptake and In Vivo Behavior of Hazardous Substances

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (17) ◽  
pp. 3985
Author(s):  
Jae Young Lee ◽  
Sajid Mushtaq ◽  
Jung Eun Park ◽  
Hee Soon Shin ◽  
So-Young Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Imaging ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Whole Body Imaging ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Industrial Chemicals ◽  
Biological Uptake ◽  
Radioanalytical Methods

Concern about environmental exposure to hazardous substances has grown over the past several decades, because these substances have adverse effects on human health. Methods used to monitor the biological uptake of hazardous substances and their spatiotemporal behavior in vivo must be accurate and reliable. Recent advances in radiolabeling chemistry and radioanalytical methodologies have facilitated the quantitative analysis of toxic substances, and whole-body imaging can be achieved using nuclear imaging instruments. Herein, we review recent literature on the radioanalytical methods used to study the biological distribution, changes in the uptake and accumulation of hazardous substances, including industrial chemicals, nanomaterials, and microorganisms. We begin with an overview of the radioisotopes used to prepare radiotracers for in vivo experiments. We then summarize the results of molecular imaging studies involving radiolabeled toxins and their quantitative assessment. We conclude the review with perspectives on the use of radioanalytical methods for future environmental research.

scholarly journals Accidental Poisoning in Children with Special Reference to Kerosene Poisoning

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Dachrul Aldy ◽  
Rusdidjas Rusdidjas ◽  
Helena Siregar
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Accidental Poisoning ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Presenting Symptoms ◽  
Oxygen Administration ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Poisoning In Children ◽  
Male To Female

A 6-year (1970- 1975) retrospective study of kerosene poisoning in children admitted to the General Hospital, Medan, is presented. The total number of admission was 10.643, 124 of which were kerosene poisoning. Tho mortality was 4.8%. In North Sumatera the incidence of kerosene poisoning along with the consumption of kerosene showed an increasing trend. The male to female ratio was 75 by 49 (3:2). The majority of cases were brought to the hospital within one hour after ingestion of kerosene. The presenting symptoms in the majority of cases were coughing (78.8%), vomiting (48.9%), dyspnoe 29%, fever 20.9%, brochopneumonia 12.9%, cyanosis 4.0%, and shock 1.6%. Treatment consisted of broad spectrum antibiotics, intravenous fluid, and oxygen administration. Kerosene in the household of the patients was used as fuel, either for cooking, or light source. More than 75% of the cases belonged to the lower socioeconomic class.

Hearing Loss following Potassium Bromate: Two Case Reports

1980 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 625-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ichiro Matsumoto ◽  
Tetsuo Morizono ◽  
Michael M. Paparella
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Potassium Bromate ◽  
Accidental Poisoning ◽  
Cold Wave ◽  
Poisoning In Children ◽  
Ototoxic Drug

Bromate has not been regarded as an ototoxic drug. Potassium bromate, marketed as a neutralizer in home permanent cold wave hair kits, has caused several cases of accidental poisoning in children, resulting from the ingestion of this solution. Two cases of hearing loss following ingestion of this solution for the purpose of suicide have been reported here and in the literature review.

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