Texas medicine
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We surveyed providers of herbal products in El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, México, to find out which herbal products they used, the content and place of origin of the products, and the illnesses for which the products were recommended. Providers were selected randomly from Ciudad Juárez and El Paso. ⋯ People in El Paso tend to consume herbal or natural supplements for weight loss or muscle enhancement; those in Ciudad Juárez use herbal products (mostly crude plants) to treat specific illnesses. Ciudad Juárez and El Paso are bordering cities; however, the herbal products consumed by their respective populations are distinct, both in content and method of use.
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Human exposure calls to poison centers may vary by geographic region. This investigation compared the pattern of human exposure calls to Texas poison centers with calls to those in other states from 2000 through 2002. Although the total number of human exposure calls increased for both Texas and non-Texas poison centers, the increase was twice as great for those in Texas. ⋯ Texas patients were more likely to be treated with decontamination. The death rate from poisoning was slightly lower in Texas. Knowledge of the human exposure calls to particular poison centers allows the poison centers to use their resources most efficiently.