Veterinary and human toxicology
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Eye/skin chemical splashes are a significant problem. Diphoterine is an hypertonic, polyvalent, amphoteric compound developed in France as an eye/skin chemical splash water-based decontamination solution. In vitro and in vivo, it actively decontaminates approximately 600 chemicals, including acids, alkalis, oxidizing and reducing agents, irritants, lacrimators, solvents, alkylating agents, and radionuclides. ⋯ Diphoterine chemical reactions are not exothermic. Diphoterine and its acid/alkali decontamination residues are not irritating to the eyes or skin; it is essentially nontoxic. Diphoterine can prevent eye/skin burns following chemical splashes and results in nearly immediate pain relief.
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Review Case Reports
Acute caffeine ingestion fatalities: management issues.
Caffeine is used and abused on a daily basis in different beverages, OTC products, and as a prescribed medication. The strength varies widely from negligible in decaffeinated drinks to medicinal grade of 200 mg/tablet. ⋯ However, within a 4-mo period, the Panhandle Poison Center recorded 2 deaths due to caffeine overdose. The abrupt onset of intractable seizures needs to be anticipated in order to appropriately manage the victims and to prevent the adverse outcome.
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On a temporal basis, air has immense capacity for moving a large mass of pollutants. Mammals and birds are exposed to pollutants in air by the inhalation (nose and mouth), cutaneous or ocular routes. Most laboratory studies on air pollutants have been limited to single air pollutants and very little research has been done on the complex mixture of compounds that exist in ambient air. ⋯ Studies are expensive. In the rural agricultural settings, the economic and environmental health risks are high. Should field observations and chemical problems be used as "red flags" for action?
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Both "chuanwu", the main root of Aconitum carmichaeli, and "caowu", the root of A kusnezoffii, are believed to possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic and cardiotonic effects and have been used in Chinese materia medica mainly for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. They contain the highly toxic C19 diterpenoid alkaloids of aconitine, mesaconitine and hypaconitine. After ingestion, patients may present with signs and symptoms that are typical of aconitine poisoning. ⋯ Management of aconitine poisoning is essentially supportive. There are no adequate studies in humans to indicate the most effective treatment of the ventricular arrhythmias. All clinicians should be alerted to the potential toxicity of "chuanwu" and "caowu".