Médecine tropicale : revue du Corps de santé colonial
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The purpose of this retrospective report is to describe etiologies and therapeutic outcomes of nontraumatic abdominal surgical emergencies in elderly patients. ⋯ The findings of this study indicated that most nontraumatic abdominal surgical emergencies in elderly patients were related to complications of neglected or undiagnosed preexisting disease. Prognosis was related to the stage of the disorder, initial surgical management, and deterioration of the coexisting medical problems.
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This study was based on a retrospective descriptive analysis of all cases of snakebite recorded at the Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center of Morocco from 1980 to 2008. A total of 1,761 snakebites, i.e., 61 cases per year, were observed during the study period. Males accounted for 54.5% of victims (sex ratio (M/F) = 1.2) and 70% of cases occurred in rural areas. ⋯ This study demonstrates that management of snakebite is problematic in Morocco. Morbidity was probably underestimated. Restricted access to antivenom is a major problem in rural areas where the population cannot afford the cost.