Y. Bentur et al
Background: The Israel National Poison Information Center, Rambam Health Care Campus, provides telephone consultations on clinical toxicology as well as drug and teratogen information around the clock. The Center participates in research, teaching and regulatory activities, and also provides laboratory services.
Objectives: To analyze data on the epidemiology of poisonings and poison exposures in Israel.
Methods: We conducted computerized queries and a descriptive analysis of the medical records database of the IPIC during 2007.
Results: Overall, 26,738 poison exposure cases were recorded, a 118.5% increase compared to 1995. Children under 6 years old were involved in 45% of cases; 73% of the calls were made by the public and 25.5% by physicians; 74.4% of exposures were unintentional and 9.2% intentional. Chemicals were involved in 37.9% of cases, pharmaceuticals in 44.2%, bites and stings in 4.3% and poisonous plants in 1.2%. Substances most frequently involved were analgesics, cleaning products and antimicrobials. Clinical severity was moderate/major in 3.5%. Substances most frequently involved in moderate/major exposures were insecticides, drugs of abuse and corrosives. Eight fatalities were recorded – three unintentional exposures (all chemicals) and five intentional (chemicals, medications, drugs of abuse).
Conclusions: The rates of poison exposures and poisonings in Israel have increased significantly, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality. The IPIC database is a valuable national resource for collecting and monitoring cases of poison exposure and can be used as a real-time surveillance system. It is recommended that reporting to the IPIC become mandatory and that its activities be adequately supported by national resources.
T. Leibson and M. Lifshitz
Organophosphate and carbamate are mainly used to kill insects, thereby protecting livestock, crops, homes and communities. Yet, these compounds also convey great danger. OP and CRB poisoning is an important clinical problem, often life-threatening, especially in the pediatric population in rural areas where reaching a physician or hospital on time is difficult. We present a summary of accumulated toxicological knowledge as well as clinical and laboratory experience from a medical center serving a relatively vast rural area and pediatric population. We stress the importance of knowing how to recognize the classic signs of OP and CRB poisoning and when it is appropriate to investigate for such poisoning even in the absence of those signs. Like any medical emergency, OP and CRB poisoning requires prompt resuscitation and use of antidotes. Atropine, oxygen and fluids are the mainstay of therapy. Oximes, which were found useful in some cases of OP poisoning and useless in some cases of CRB poisoning, are absolutely safe as empiric treatment, which is often needed since the major differential diagnosis of OP poisoning is CRB poisoning that is clinically indistinguishable. We hope that continuing research will offer further insights into the management of such events, and we are confident that improved medical management of OP and CRB poisoning will result in a reduction of morbidity and other complications associated with intensive care procedures and hospitalization.
B. Bar-Oz, M. Goldman, E. Lahat, R. Greenberg, M. Avgil, A. Blay, A. Herman, M. Berkovitch
Background: Medication errors are a common cause of morbidity and mortality.
Objectives: To evaluate the rate of acknowledgment of medication errors as reported by physicians working in the community and in hospitals.
Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was sent to 9320 active physicians (about 48% community physicians, 17% hospital physicians and 35% working in both places), with questions on the rate and type of medication errors that they had encountered during their professional career. The questions specified errors in dosage, type of medicine (wrong indication), route of administration and drug interactions.
Results: Only 627 physicians (6.7%) responded. Of these, nearly 79% admitted having made an error in prescribing medication; the majority admitted to more than one error. Physicians with fewer years of experience admitted having made a mistake more than did physicians with more experience (P = 0.019). Pediatricians and geriatricians made more dosage mistakes (P = 0.02), while family physicians and psychiatrists made more mistakes in drug interactions (P = 0.001).
Conclusions: It is possible that indifference, fear of identification, or lack of awareness may have contributed to the low response rate despite the fact that the questionnaire was anonymous. Educational programs should be implemented in medical schools to encourage physicians to report errors before the onset of adverse reactions.
Ophir Lavon, MD, Yael Lurie, MD and Yedidia Bentur, MD
Background: Scombroid fish poisoning is an acute illness caused by consumption of fish containing high concentrations of histamine. Improper handling of fish leads to bacterial contamination. Bacterial enzymes convert histidine to histamine. Symptoms develop quickly and resemble an immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic reaction. The diagnosis is often missed. Serious complications (e.g., bronchospasm, hypotension) are infrequent.
Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of scombroid fish poisoning in Israel as reported to the National Poison Information Center.
Methods: We conducted a retrospective poison center chart review from January 2005 to December 2007.
Results: During the study period, 21 events of scombroid poisoning involving 46 patients were recorded. Tuna was the commonest fish consumed (84.7%). Clinical manifestations developed within 20 minutes in 65.2% of the patients. The main clinical manifestations included rash (41%), flushing (37%), gastrointestinal complaints (37%) and headache (30.4%). About 25% had abnormal vital signs; two patients developed hypotension. Treatment was supportive and included mainly H1-antagonists (65.2%) and fluids (13%). Five patients were initially misdiagnosed as having an allergic reaction and were treated with corticosteroids (four patients) and epinephrine (one patient).
Conclusions: Scombroid fish poisoning should be suspected in patients with histamine-like manifestations that are temporally related to fish (mainly tuna) consumption, especially in outbreaks. Although scombroid poisoning is often self-limited and responds well to antihistamines, prolonged observation may be required as severe toxicity can supervene. Proper handling of fish and urgent notification of the Ministry of Health are mandatory in order to prevent this potentially serious public heath problem.
Ophir Lavon, MD, Yael Lurie, MD, Benjamin Abbou, MD, Bishara Bishara, MD, Shlomo Hanan Israelit, MD PhD and Yedidia Bentur, MD.
Yael Lurie, MD, Pinhas Fainmesser, MD, Moshe Yosef, MD and Yedidia Bentur, MD.
Shaden Salameh, MD, Teddy Weiss, MD and Yona Amitai, MD MPH
Michal Tenenbaum, Shahar Lavi, Nurit Magal, Gabrielle J. Halpern, Inbal Bolocan, Monther Boulos, Michael Kapeliovich, Mordechai Shohat, Haim Hammerman
Background: Long QT syndrome is an inherited cardiac disease, associated with malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Objectives: To map and identify the gene responsible for LQTS in an Israeli family.
Methods: A large family was screened for LQTS after one of them was successfully resuscitated from ventricular fibrillation. The DNA was examined for suspicious loci by whole genome screening and the coding region of the LQT2 gene was sequenced.
Results: Nine family members, 6 males and 3 females, age (median and interquartile range) 26 years (13, 46), who were characterized by a unique T wave pattern were diagnosed as carrying the mutant gene. The LQTS-causing gene was mapped to chromosome 7 with the A614V mutation. All of the affected members in the family were correctly identified by electrocardiogram. Corrected QT duration was inversely associated with age in the affected family members and decreased with age.
Conclusions: Careful inspection of the ECG can correctly identify LQTS in some families. Genetic analysis is needed to confirm the diagnosis and enable the correct therapy in this disease
Eyal Shteyer, MD and Michael Wilschanski, MD.
Management of inflammatory bowel disease in childhood poses great challenges. Apart from the disease complications, the drugs' adverse affects, especially corticosteroids, are significant. In the past decade there was major progress in elucidating the pathogenesis of IBD, which led to new treatment options aiming to achieve better control of the disease and decrease the various complications of therapy currently used. In this review we provide an overview of novel therapies for IBD, their efficacy, safety and their current use in children.