The New Zealand medical journal
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To review paediatric exploratory ingestions of paracetamol presenting to Christchurch Hospital Emergency Department. ⋯ Toxicity from paediatric exploratory ingestion of paracetamol is extremely rare. To reduce the potential for poisoning, bottles and prescriptions of paracetamol should have less than a total dose of 4 g. The authors recommend that unwitnessed exploratory ingestions of paracetamol in children require no treatment if the estimated maximum ingested dose is below 140 mg/kg. Above this dose, treatment is based on the result of a plasma paracetamol level drawn four hours after ingestion. Gastrointestinal decontamination should be reserved for the rare occasions of a definite witnessed ingestion of a dose exceeding 140 mg/kg.
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To examine the profile and hospital costs of head injury patients admitted to the Waikato Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU). ⋯ The New Zealand epidemic of head injuries continues to consume large amounts of the health money and produce major social costs.
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To review the recent epidemiology of deliberate self poisoning presentations to Christchurch Emergency Department and to compare this with 1992 and 1989 data. ⋯ Deliberate self poisoning remains a problem mainly of the young with a gender ratio favouring female. Antidepressant medications, paracetamol, benzodiazepines and antipsychotics remain the most common classes of drugs taken alone or in combination. An important trend within the antidepressants is the increasing misuse of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Rates of admission to hospital and the Intensive Care Unit have changed but mortality rates have had no significant change over the three time periods. Gastrointestinal decontamination techniques employed follow a trend towards the use of activated charcoal and away from gastric lavage.