Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by HIRSHBERG, A.
Right arrow Articles by LERMAN, Y.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by HIRSHBERG, A.
Right arrow Articles by LERMAN, Y.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1984 Oxford University Press

research-article

Clinical Problems in Organophosphate Insecticide Poisoning: The Use of a Computerized Information System

ASHER HIRSHBERG and YEHUDA LERMAN

Research and Development Branch IDF Medical Corps, Israel

Clinical Problems in Organophosphate Insecticide Poisoning: The Use of a Computerized Information System. HIRSHBERG, A., AND LERMAN, Y. (1984). Fundam. Appl. Toxicol. 4, S209–S214. A computerized medical information system has been constructed, which contains clinical data from 236 case records of organophosphate and carbamate insecticides poisoning in Israel. A computer program was used to retrieve, analyze, and cross-tabulate data contained in 162 variables per patient. Clinical criteria were used to distinguish mild (66%) from moderate (19%) and severe (15%) cases. The majority of exposures were occupational (58%), whereas the rest were accidental (31%) or suicidal (11%). Parathion was the toxic compound most frequently involved (153 cases). Grouping signs and symptoms according to the cholinergic synapse systems showed peripheral muscarinic signs to be the most prevalent (92.5% of cases), whereas involvement of all three synapse systems was rare (17%). Listing individual symptoms emphasized the high prevalence of nonspecific symptoms such as vomiting (142 cases) and abdominal pain (115 cases). The mean atropine dose given to adult patients during the first 24 hr after poisoning ranged from 6.0 ± 0.7 mg in mild cases to 49.8 ± 4.5 mg in severe cases. Evaluation of clinical decision making was demonstrated through analysis of the guidelines used by physicians to gauge atropine administration. Five of the eighteen fatalities were delayed deaths, one of which was due to a polymorphous ventricular arrhythmia. The same arrhythmia occurred also in four nonfatal cases. Other delayed effects included nonspecific EEG changes and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Matching individual cases with comparable cases in the data bank was demonstrated, using a previously published case report. Computerized consultation may help inexperienced physicians to improve the quality of medical care given to cases of organophosphate insecticide poisoning in small hospitals located in rural areas.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.