[Acute poisoning in animals in The netherlands in the period 1985-1988]. / Acute vergiftigingen bij dieren in Nederland over de periode 1985-1988.

The National Poison Control Centre (NVIC), a unit of the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Hygiene, the Netherlands, provides a 24-hour service to inform physicians, veterinary surgeons, dentists and pharmacists in case of poisoning. The total number of requests was 20,514 in 1988. In the period from 1985 to 1988 from 3 to 4 per cent of the cases in which information was supplied, concerned suspected cases of acute poisoning in animals. Pesticides were involved in the majority of cases, particularly in dogs, cats, cattle and sheep. As a result of exposure to household 'do-it-yourself' products, in dogs and cats, 40 per cent of these cases were caused by mineral oil products, such as petrol, turpentines, motor oil and lamp oil. Cases of poisoning by plants occur particularly in sheep and goats. In 50 per cent of the fatal cases the poisoning was caused by pesticides, in 17 per cent of the cases it was due to plants, in 0.5 per cent of the cases to human drugs and 0.1 per cent of the cases to veterinary drugs.

[Dangers of batteries]. / Dangers des piles.

During the years 1982-1987 the Dutch Poison Control Centre was consulted 333 times about batteries. From these inquiries 281 concerned ingestion of a battery. In 52 cases there had been contact with (the contents of) a battery either with the skin, or the eyes or mucus membranes. The obtained data are compared with data in literature. In literature it is found that after ingestion in about 90% of the cases no symptoms occur. Problems develop when the battery is lodging somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. Perforation is the most dangerous complication. Sometimes a battery can be found in the nose or in the external auditory canal of a child. As a result of a prolonged stay on one place, severe tissue damage may develop. When a battery is ruptured an intoxication due to metals might be expected we never observed it sofar. For locating the exact position of a battery in the gastrointestinal tract an X-ray photograph can be made. The therapies installed differ from waiting for the battery to come out with the stools to operative intervention. We suggest that when a patient has symptoms, medical intervention is required immediately; in the other case one can wait. When a battery is found in the nose or the ear immediate removal is required.

Non-occupational exposure to pentachlorophenol: clinical findings and plasma-PCP-concentrations in three families.

1 The clinical findings are reported of 15 members of three families living in houses where relatively large amounts of pentachlorophenol (PCP) solutions had been applied. To be able to interpret the plasma concentrations in the patients, plasma-PCP-concentrations in 99 draftees were measured. The clinical and toxicological-analytical results are discussed. 2 Signs of a systemic PCP-intoxication were not found in any patient. 3 Symptoms and objective changes of the uncovered skin were present in three patients (a burning painful sensation, erythema, dryness and scaling) possibly caused by a direct influence of PCP in the air. 4 The plasma-PCP-concentrations in the patients ranged from 25-660 micrograms 1(-1). The mean plasma-PCP-concentrations in the draftees was 128.6 +/- 134.9 micrograms 1(-1) (mean +/- s.d.); the median was 88 micrograms 1(-1), the 95% range was 330 micrograms 1(-1). 5 There was an association between patients' plasma-PCP-concentrations and their staying in the affected house.