Types of Exposure Pesticide Poisoning in Jiangsu Province, China; The Epidemiologic Trend between 2006 and 2018

Acute pesticide poisoning in the central part of Iran: A 4-year cross-sectional study

Objectives

Intoxication with pesticides is a well-known public health problem. We aimed to describe the demographic and toxico-clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with pesticide poisoning.

Methods

This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed in Khorshid Hospital affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. All patients with pesticide poisoning (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and acaricides) were evaluated. The patients' demographic, toxicological, clinical, and laboratory findings from March 2016 until March 2021 were collected and analyzed.

Results

During the study period, 25,659 patients with acute poisoning were admitted, of which, 1567 (6.1% of the total poisoning) with pesticide poisoning were included. The mean ± SD age of the patients was 31.34 ± 13.7 years and 55.3% were men (male/female ratio = 1.23). In approximately 75% of the patients, poisoning occurred by suicidal attempts, while in 14.3% (n = 224), it was accidental. Insecticides caused about 51.30% of the poisonings. However, rodenticides were most commonly used in completed suicide attempts (79.9%). The frequency of previously attempted suicide, and self-harming was different among the patients with respect to the type of pesticide poisoning (p < 0.05). Previous suicidal attempts (35.3%) and self-harming (17.3%) were reported more in patients poisoned with the combination of pesticides. Half of the patients were employed. Nausea and vomiting (56.7%, n = 889) were the most common clinical manifestations; 8.3% (n = 130) of the patients died, 64 of whom had rodenticide poisoning.

Conclusion

The prevalence of pesticide poisoning was relatively low; most were insecticide poisoning. Poisoning occurred most through attempted suicide. Rodenticides and herbicides had higher mortality rates than other pesticides. Patients with previously attempted suicide and self-harming behavior may use a combination of pesticides.

Quantitative determination and removal of pesticide residues in fresh vegetables and fruit products by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS

Pesticides are the potent agrochemicals used to successfully manage, repel, or stop pests and weeds in agricultural production. This study analyzed 222 pesticide active substances in 90 samples of seven different vegetables and fruits acquired from producers through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) technology. The validation parameters of each pesticide's active substances were determined. The LOD, LOQ values, and recovery studies of the 222 active substances were 3.00, 10.00 ng/g, and between 76.07 and 108.08%, respectively. The correlation coefficients and measurement uncertainty were determined to be between 0.990-0.999 and 8.91-31.46%, respectively. There were active substances of chlorpyrifos, acetamiprid, azoxystrobin, difenoconazole, malathion, dieldrin, boscalid, triticonazole, tebuconazole, triadimenol, trifloxystrobin, pirimicarb, and dodine among the vegetable and fruit samples used in the study. There were no active substances in 55 (61%) samples. Among the 35 samples (39%), 31 samples (34%) contained only one active substance, whereas four (5%) contained two active substances. However, the amount of active substances in six (7%) samples was above the maximum residue levels (MRL) limits. Various processes used in the study revealed that peeling was the most effective pesticide residue removal strategy. The washing procedure also proved that it reduced some pesticide residues but failed to eliminate all pesticides. The peeling process successfully reduced a significant amount of the active substances from the products, however, residues remained. Washing the fruits with hot water was also effective in removing residues. As a result, analyses of the peeled sections yielded higher pesticide residue concentrations than those of the entire product.

The influence of coronavirus disease 2019 on emergency department visits in Nanjing, China: A multicentre cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Influenza has been linked to the crowding in emergency departments (ED) across the world. The impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on China EDs has been quite different from those during past influenza outbreaks. Our objective was to determine if COVID-19 changed ED visit disease severity during the pandemic.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cross sectional study conducted in Nanjing, China. We captured ED visit data from 28 hospitals. We then compared visit numbers from October 2019 to February 2020 for a month-to-month analysis and every February from 2017 to 2020 for a year-to-year analysis. Inter-group chi-square test and time series trend tests were performed to compare visit numbers. The primary outcome was the proportion of severe disease visits in the EDs.

RESULTS

Through February 29 ^th 2020, there were 93 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients in Nanjing, of which 40 cases (43.01%) were first seen in the ED. The total number of ED visits in Nanjing in February 2020, were dramatically decreased (n = 99,949) in compared to January 2020 (n = 313,125) and February 2019 (n = 262,503). Except for poisoning, the severe diseases in EDs all decreased in absolute number, but increased in proportion both in year-to-year and month-to-month analyses. This increase in proportional ED disease severity was greater in higher-level referral hospitals when compared year by year.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 outbreak has been associated with decreases in ED visits in Nanjing, China, but increases in the proportion of severe ED visits.