Relationship Between Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Severity of Diabetic Retinopathy

The negative effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on diabetes mellitus (DM) patients are known. For these reasons, we aimed to investigate the effect of COPD on the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DRP) in patients with DM. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included one-hundred and fifty-six eyes of 156 patients with COPD and DM. Multinomial logistic regression models were applied to evaluate the independent relationships between DRP and COPD, including adjusting for patients’ characteristics. Results: After adjustment for potential confounders, patients with low-level COPD were found to have less PDR and severe PDR. (RRR 0.01 95% CI 0.01-0.03, RRR 0.01 95% CI 0.01-0.08, respectively). Conclusion: The findings suggest an increased risk of DRP severity in patients with severe COPD. Ophthalmologists following these patients should consider the relationship between COPD and DRP

Experiences with endosulfan mass poisoning in rural areas

This paper describes very rare chemical poisoning and characteristics of patients with acute endosulfan mass poisoning in a rural area of Turkey and our experiences of these patients. We included 41 patients who were treated in our hospital with the diagnosis of endosulfan poisoning. After the first vital intervention they were examined in terms of age, sex, symptoms and physical examination findings, laboratory results, treatment and outcome. Forty-one patients were admitted to the emergency department (ED) after triage. Nineteen (46.3%) of the patients were female, 22 (53.7%) were male. The mean age was 279 +/- 16.0 years (1-67 years). The mean time to the ED was 4.1 +/- 0.9 h (3-6.5 h). The most common symptoms were anxiety (976%), nausea (56.1%) and vomiting (48.8%). Tests of the blood samples obtained at the ED revealed leucocytosis (11070.6 +/- 4302.5/mu l), increased blood glucose, LDH, CK and CK-MB levels. Toxicological analysis of blood and urine samples revealed endosulfan as the causative agent. Especially in the rural areas, cases with acute repetitive seizures should suggest endosulfan intoxication when the aetiology is uncertain even in the absence of any signs of intoxication. Health care professionals should understand the hazards associated with the pesticide use as well as diagnosis and treatment of these types of poisonings. European Journal of Emergency Medicine 16:53-56 (C) 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health vertical bar Lippincott Williams & Wilkins