Poisoning Cases Reported to Poison Information Centre, Ahmedabad, India: A Three Year Observational Study

Introduction: Morbidity and mortality associated with pesticide poisoning is a major public health issue, especially in lower and middle income countries, including India. Timely understanding of poisoning trends is required for improved prevention. The objective of the present study was to analyze the trend of poisoning cases in Ahmedabad, India in the period of 2015-2017.Methods: Detailed history, including demographic data, risk factors, poisoning history, agents involved, and occupational influence were collected for poisoning cases reported to the Poison Information Centre in Ahmedabad. Cholinesterase activity and HPTLC method for detection of sanguinarine in urine were used to investigate the agents of poisoning. Non-parametric tests,  such as Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U Test were applied to test statistical significance between the groups. All statistical analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.Results: A total 1373 poisoning cases were investigated. The incidence and fatality rate was found to be higher in males compared to females (M/F ratio 1.89:1). About 91.62% of the poisoning were through the oral route. Erythrocyte cholinesterase activity assay results indicated that 41.29% of the cases were due to organophosphorus/carbamate poisoning. Insecticides were found to be the agent of poisoning in 26.29% cases, and 11.07% of all the cases were agricultural workers. Poisoning with medications, household pesticides and chemicals were also reported. Few cases of food poisoning with sanguinarine were detected.Conclusion: The data presented here suggest that pesticides used for agriculture are the major source of poisonings. Implementation of usage guidelines, educating farmers and vulnerable population, and finding novel alternatives for highly toxic chemicals may be helpful in decreasing the number of poisoning cases.

Relationship between Thyroid Profile with Reproductive Hormones and Semen Quality

Semen quality is associated with various factors. The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism on human semen quality and reproductive hormones level if any. A total of 351 subjects were enrolled. They were subjected to assess the status of thyroid as well as reproductive hormones and semen quality. The subjects were grouped on the basis of thyroid hormone profile as, hypothyroid, hyperthyroid and normal thyroid hormone profile with respect to semen quality and reproductive hormones level.  Semen volume, sperm count and viability was non-significant statistically in both hypothyroid and hyperthyroid subjects with respect to subjects with normal thyroid profile. Whereas, percent fast progressive Sperm was significantly lower in hypothyroid subjects, while non-motile sperm was significantly higher in hypothyroid subjects as compared to normal thyroid profile subjects. The data on reproductive hormones level indicated that FSH was higher and testosterone level was lower in both hypo and hyperthyroid subjects as compared to subjects with normal thyroid profile. Although the results were statistically non-significant. While LH level was also higher which was statistically significant in hypothyroid subjects with respect to subjects having normal thyroid profile. The data obtained suggest that impaired thyroid hormone has an impact on semen quality as well as reproductive hormone profile to some extent

Risk factors and prevalence of work-related injuries and accidents among veterinarians in India

Background and Aim: Veterinary medicine is a high-risk occupation and imparts a risk of physical injuries due to the unpredictable nature of the animals and workplace conditions. This study aimed to identify the associated risk factors and prevalence of work-related injuries, and automobile accidents among veterinarians in India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among veterinarians (n=565). The responses were recorded using a self-administered questionnaire on work-related injuries, automobile accidents, and physical hazards. Results: Work-related injuries due to animals in the past 2 years were reported by more than half of veterinarians (prevalence=54.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI]=50.58-58.79), while two-thirds experienced workplace injuries due to animals during any time of their career. The risk for injury was 1.1 times higher (odds ratio=1.1, 95% CI=0.611, 1.981) for veterinarians with a long job duration (>10 years). Large animal practicing veterinarians faced a higher (2.03 times) risk of injury. Workplace absenteeism due to animal-related injury (up to 15 or more days) was reported by 25.9% (95% CI=22.44-29.68) of respondents, including hospitalizations for 7.8% of veterinarians. More than half of veterinarians suffered from automobile injuries (prevalence=60.9%, 95% CI=6.8-64.8) due to work-related travel in the past 2 years, resulting in workplace absenteeism for 56.2% (95% CI=51.46-60.97) of subjects. The prevalence of needlestick injury among veterinarians was very high and reported as 80.9% (95% CI=77.49-83.99). Recapping of needles significantly increased the risk of needlestick injury by 1.67 times. Conclusion: Veterinarians are at risk of work-related injuries, including automobile accidents. Kicking by animals and needlestick injuries were the most frequent physical hazards. Recapping of needles and responding to emergency calls at night were significant risk factors for needlestick injury and automobile accidents, respectively

Acute oral toxicity of pesticide combination (acephate 50% and imidacloprid 1.8% as active ingredients) in Sprague-Dawley rats

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the acute toxic interaction and lethal dose (LD50) of pesticide combination product (acephate 50% and imidacloprid 1.8% as active ingredients) available in the market in Sprague-Dawley female rats by oral route. Materials and Methods: A total of 10 Sprague-Dawley female rats were divided into two groups, comprising five rats in each dose group. Both groups were identified as control and test groups, respectively. Control group received sterile water as vehicle and test group received pesticide combination (acephate 50% and imidacloprid 1.8% as active ingredients) at a dose of 0 and 2000 mg/kg body weight. As per the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Guideline 420, initially one animal each from both the control and test groups were dosed with 0 and 2000 mg/kg, respectively, as sighting study. Based on the results of sighting study, additionally, four animals each from both groups were dosed with the same dose to make a total of five animals in each group. Dose volume was constant as 10 mL/kg. All animals were observed daily twice for clinical signs and mortality. Body weight was recorded on day 0 and weekly thereafter during 14 days' observation period; last body weight (fasted) was recorded on day 15. All the rats of both the groups were humanely sacrificed on day 15 for gross pathology, collection of organs for histopathology, organ weighing, and morphometry. Organ weights were taken as absolute values, and relative organ weights to last fasted body weights were calculated. Results: Pesticide combination (acephate 50% and imidacloprid 1.8% as active ingredients) treated rats showed cholinergic signs with one mortality in the test group. No significant difference was observed in body weight, relative organ weights, and organ morphometry between pesticide combination exposed and non-exposed groups. Gross pathology of the treated rats was also comparable with respect to control group. Histopathological changes in the liver, kidneys, heart, lung, adrenaline, spleen, and ovaries of test group rats were found to be comparable with control group rats. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the LD50 of one of the combination products available in the market having acephate 50% and imidacloprid 1.8% as active ingredients in Sprague-Dawley female rats which is >2000 mg/kg body weight. Furthermore, gross, histopathology and histoarchitectural alterations of all the vital organs of the test group were comparable to the control

Comparación de los métodos para la determinación de plaguicida residual en frutas y vegetales en India y Costa Rica

This study is a comparison of the methods followed for the determination of pesticide residue in fruits and vegetables in India and Costa Rica. The procedures followed are in both cases the QuEChERS method for which the National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad executes it and in the case of Costa Rica the Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado laboratory is the one in charge to carry it outEste artículo corresponde a la comparación de los métodos seguidos para la determinación de plaguicida residual en frutas y vegetales tanto en India como en Costa Rica. Tanto en el National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad en India y el encargado de realizar dicho proedimiento en Costa Rica, el Laboratorio del Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado, utilizan el procedimiento llamado QuEChER

Revisión sistemática de los riesgos a la salud por exposición ocupacional plaguicidas en trabajadores de las plantaciones bananeras de la Región Caribe de Costa Rica de 1999 al 2014

The word pesticide means to kill the pest, but also destroying, preventing, repelling or mitigating pests are part of its uses. Costa Rica’s usage intensity has no easy explanation regarding its multi variable factors involved. Different aspects faced by farmers like socio-economic, for instance age, education, information sources, others; political-economical, as their contracts, credits, markets, others, and agroecological as parcel elevation, years of usage of the land, others, they all (but not only these ones) influence on pesticides usage at the field levelLos plaguicidas son usados en grandes cantidades en Costa Rica, especialmente en la Región Caribe donde se encuentran ubicadas una gran cantidad de plantaciones de banano. Se han realizado diferentes estudios en esta región del país. La siguiente investigación resume el escenario de la exposición ocupacional a plaguicidas en Costa Rica de acuerdo con estudios realizados durante los años 1999 al 2014. Se realizó también una comparación entre los efectos a la salud y los plaguicidas en las plantaciones de banano de la Región Caribe de Costa Rica

Comparación de los métodos para la determinación de plaguicida residual en frutas y vegetales en India y Costa Rica

This study is a comparison of the methods followed for the determination of pesticide residue in fruits and vegetables in India and Costa Rica. The procedures followed are in both cases the QuEChERS method for which the National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad executes it and in the case of Costa Rica the Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado laboratory is the one in charge to carry it out.Este artículo corresponde a la comparación de los métodos seguidos para la determinación de plaguicida residual en frutas y vegetales tanto en India como en Costa Rica. Tanto en el National Institute of Occupational Health, Ahmedabad en India y el encargado de realizar dicho proedimiento en Costa Rica, el Laboratorio del Servicio Fitosanitario del Estado, utilizan el procedimiento llamado QuEChERS

Revisión sistemática de los riesgos a la salud por exposición ocupacional plaguicidas en trabajadores de las plantaciones bananeras de la Región Caribe de Costa Rica de 1999 al 2014

Pesticides are highly used in Costa Rica especially in the Caribbean Region where numbers of banana plantations are located. Different studies have been conducted in the country especially in this region. The following research summarizes the scenario of the occupational exposure to pesticides in Costa Rica presented in studies conducted during the years 1999 to 2014. A comparison within the health effects and the pesticides in the banana plantations of the Caribbean Region of Costa Rica is also given.Los plaguicidas son usados en grandes cantidades en Costa Rica, especialmente en la Región Caribe donde se encuentran ubicadas una gran cantidad de plantaciones de banano. Se han realizado diferentes estudios en esta región del país. La siguiente investigación resume el escenario de la exposición ocupacional a plaguicidas en Costa Rica de acuerdo con estudios realizados durante los años 1999 al 2014. Se realizó también una comparación entre los efectos a la salud y los plaguicidas en las plantaciones de banano de la Región Caribe de Costa Rica

Patient Controlled Epidural Analgesia during Labour: Effect of Addition of Background Infusion on Quality of Analgesia & Maternal Satisfaction

Patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) is a well established technique for pain relief during labor. But the inclusion of continuous background infusion to PCEA is controversial. The aim of this study was to assess whether the use of continuous infusion along with PCEA was beneficial for laboring women with regards to quality of analgesia, maternal satisfaction and neonatal outcome in comparison to PCEA alone. Fifty five parturients received epidural bolus of 10ml solution containing 0.125% bupivacaine +2 µg.ml−1 of fentanyl. For maintenance of analgesia the patients of Group PCEA self administered 8 ml bolus with lockout interval of 20 minutes of above solution on demand with no basal infusion. While the patients of Group PCEA + CI received continuous epidural infusion at the rate of 10 ml.hr-1 along with self administered boluses of 3 ml with lockout interval of 10 minutes of similar epidural solution. Patients of both groups were given rescue boluses by the anaesthetists for distressing pain. Verbal analogue pain scores, incidence of distressing pain, need of supplementary/rescue boluses, dose of bupivacaine consumed, maternal satisfaction and neonatal Apgar scores were recorded. No significant difference was observed between mean VAS pain scores during labor, maternal satisfaction, mode of delivery or neonatal Apgar scores. But more patients (n=8) required rescue boluses in PCEA group for distressing pain. The total volume consumed of bupivacaine and opioid was slightly more in PCEA + CI group. In both the techniques the highest sensory level, degree of motor block were comparable & prolongation of labor was not seen. It was concluded that both the techniques provided equivalent labor analgesia, maternal satisfaction and neonatal Apgar scores. PCEA along with continuous infusion at the rate of 10 ml/ hr resulted in lesser incidence of distressing pain and need for rescue analgesic. Although this group consumed higher dose of bupivacaine, it did not affect maternal or neonatal safety

Sleep Quality – A Potential Link in the Relation Between Occupational Stress and Inflammation

Job stress by effort-reward imbalance (ERI) is a predictor of burnout. Job stress is associated with inflammation, that is a forerunner of distal outcomes, including mortality. Sleep quality, an important association between job stress and inflammation has not been extensively studied. A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationship between job stress, sleep quality, and inflammation among female nurses. As the primary outcome measure, a composite inflammation score was constructed from five interleukins (IL-6, 8, 10, 1β, TNF-α). Among fifty participants (mean age 32±7 years, work experience 105±8 months), there was poor sleep quality among the high ERI group (p=0.021). Overcommitment(OC), an intrinsic component of the ERI, was related to poor sleep quality (β =0.21, p =0.025). High OC (β =2.4, p = 0.025) and increased sleep latency (β = 8.3, p =0.027) were associated with elevated inflammation. There was a significant interaction between ERI and OC on inflammation (β =5.186, p =0.017) and conditional effects of ERI on OC to inflammation only in the high ERI group (p =0.002), not in the low ERI group (p = 0.839). Composite inflammation scores from various inflammatory markers may be potential indicators of adverse outcomes in burnout studies among healthcare workers