Risk Factors and Outcomes of Food Poisoning in Africa

Food poisoning is one of the common health problems in most African countries. This review was conducted to describe the situation in Africa with regard to specific risk factors and outcomes of food poisoning in the African setting based on published literature

Risks Associated with International Trading of Medicines by Non-Licensed Entities and Non-Professionals

The making, distribution and trading of medicines can be traced back as far as antiquity. When talking about trading, sale or dispensing of medicines, it is almost impossible to separate this topic with the profession of pharmacy or pharmacists. Although most countries introduced legislations that put the trading of medicines largely in the hand of licensed businesses and professionals mainly pharmacists, informal and international trading of medicines and related substances has continued to be practiced in almost all countries due to loopholes in legislations among other reasons. This chapter highlights the risks associated with the trading of medicines by unlicensed organisations and non-professionals. These risks include the production and sale of counterfeit medicines, encouraging abuse and misuse of medicines, anti-competitive behaviour and so on. The major findings are that concessions made to allow non-licensed businesses and non-professionals to trade in medicines have resulted in several consequences that are threatening the whole world. It is this realisation that has prompted the recommendation that courage from decision makers is required for them to take a stand and hand over back the trading of medicines firmly in the hands of licensed professionals while outlawing loopholes that sustained the trade of medicines by unlicensed entities and non-professionals

CONTRIBUTION OF PLANTS AND TRADITIONAL MEDICINES TO THE DISPARITIES AND SIMILARITIES IN ACUTE POISONING INCIDENTS IN BOTSWANA, SOUTH AFRICA AND UGANDA

Background: Acute poisoning incidents are one of the leading causes of morbidity and hospitalization in several countries. The purpose of this analysis was to compare the patterns of acute poisoning in three countries namely, Botswana, South Africa and Uganda; and examine the similarities and disparities in the patterns of occurrence of acute poisoning based on the sociodemographic factors of the victims, the toxic agents involved, the circumstances surrounding the incidents and their outcomes. Materials and methods: This paper is based on the re-analysis of data that were collected from January to June 2005 by some Master of Public Health students using a similar data collection tool. A single dataset made of the original individual datasheets was constituted and analysed. Results: Overall, it was found that the mean age of victims of acute poisoning was 20.9 ± 14.5 years; the youngest victim was a 3 months old boy from South Africa; and the oldest was a 75 years old man from Uganda. In descending order, the most common toxic agents involved in poisoning incidents were household products (46.1%), agrochemicals (18.8%), pharmaceuticals (14.0%), animal and insect bites (13.0%), food poisoning (4.5%), as well as plants and traditional medicines (3.6%). Across the three countries, acute poisoning occurred mainly by accident, but the contextual factors of each country led to a pattern of acute poisoning that showed some similarities with regard to the distribution of deliberate self-poisoning among females, teenagers, and young adult victims. There were disparities related to the differential access to toxic agents, based on the age and gender of the victims. Of the 17 deaths reported, 2 (11.7%) were due to traditional medicines; household products were implicated in fatal outcomes in all three countries, though the extent of their involvement varied from country to country. Conclusion: Although plant and traditional medicines caused fewer cases of acute poisoning incidents, they contributed considerably to fatal outcomes

Tuberculosis and lactic acidosis as causes of death in adult patients from a regional hospital in Johannesburg

Background: Tuberculosis and adverse effects have been shown to affect both the quality of life and the survival of patients on antiretroviral treatment. This study sought to investigate the causes of death in a sample of adult HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral treatment at Thembisa Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted by examining the charts of 498 adult patients treated from January 2004 to December 2006 at the antiretroviral clinic of a regional hospital in Johannesburg. A data collection form was used to collate both sociodemographic and clinical data. Results: The majority of the patients were female (71.7%) with a mean age of 37.7 ± 11.6 years, and in the age group of 18–77 years. The greater number of the patients was South African citizens, with only 2.2% citizens of other Southern African countries. At baseline, 29.9% had been on anti-tuberculosis treatment. Most of the patients had been prescribed the regimen comprising stavudine, lamivudine, and nevirapine or efavirenz; two of them (0.4%) were on the second line regimen made of zidovudine, didanosine, and lopinavir–ritonavir. At least one side effect was documented in 82.1% of patients; the ten most documented side effects were skin rashes (62.9%), peripheral neuropathy (48.4%), headaches (38.2%), chest pain (21.9%), coughing (21.7%), anaemia (21.5%), diarrhoea (19.3%), vomiting (16.7%), dizziness (15.3%), and lactic acidosis (11.2%). A mortality rate of 3.6% was recorded during the 2-year study period. Although the cause of death was undetermined in 11.1% of patients, 50.0% and 38.9% of deaths respectively were a consequence of tuberculosis and lactic acidosis. Conclusions: In addition to tuberculosis, side effects in particular, lactic acidosis was the other main cause of death in patients treated at the study site. These findings suggest that patients on regimens containing drugs that cause lactic acidosis should be closely monitored when the first complaints suggesting lactic acidosis are reported or noticed

Pharmacokinetics and Adverse Effects of Drugs - Mechanisms and Risks Factors

This book is a fruit of a collaborative work from several international scientists. It will be a useful resource for researchers, students, and clinicians. Each individual chapter could serve as a prescribed reading for postgraduate students and clinicians specializing in and practicing clinical pharmacology and toxicology, pharmacotherapy and pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacovigilance, and toxicovigilance, as well as those involved in clinical research, drug discovery, and development. Every chapter in this book discusses and provides illustrations on the theme discussed based on authors' understanding and experience while summarizing existing knowledge. In doing so, each chapter provides a new insight that would benefit a novice as well as a seasoned reader in understanding the pharmacokinetic mechanisms and risk factors involved in the occurrence of adverse effects of drugs

Poisoning - From Specific Toxic Agents to Novel Rapid and Simplified Techniques for Analysis

This book, which is the result of contributions from a team of international authors, presents a collection of materials that can be categorized into two groups. The first group of papers deals with clinical toxicology topics including poisoning by anticoagulant rodenticides, food toxins, carbon monoxide, the toxicity of beta-lactam antibiotics, acute neonicotinoid poisoning, occupational risk factors for acute pesticide poisoning, activating carbon fibers, and date pits for use in liver toxin adsorption. The second group of papers deals with forensic or analytical toxicology topics such as simplified methods for the analysis of gaseous toxic agents, rapid methods for the analysis and monitoring of pathogens in drinking water and water-based solutions, as well as the linkages between clinical and forensic toxicology. Each chapter presents new information on the topic discussed based on authors' experience while summarizing existing knowledge. As such, this book will be a good teaching aid and can be a prescribed or recommended reading for postgraduate students and professionals in the fields of public health, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, biology, toxicology, and forensic sciences