RESUMO
Pesticide poisoning in pediatric patients is still an important reason for presenting to the emergency department in Romania. In this context, the present study aims to raise awareness of the toxicological impact of pesticides on human health in pediatrics. For this purpose, the demographic characteristics, clinical assessment, and outcome of pediatric patients with acute pesticide poisoning admitted to the toxicology department of "Saint Mary" Emergency Children's Hospital from Iasi, were analyzed. This retrospective study focused on the clinical and laboratory data of patients aged under 18 years diagnosed with acute pesticide poisoning between 2010-2020. The statistical analysis was performed using the Statistica 10 package. A total of 49 patients presented with manifestations of acute pesticide poisoning, and the most common pesticide involved was diazinon. The most frequent exposure route was accidentally ingesting pesticide products (95%). The primary clinical manifestations were toxic encephalopathy, coma, depressive disorder, gastric disorders, and respiratory failure. Changes in the glycemic status, liver, and kidney damage were also present. Treatment included decontamination, administration of antidote, supportive care, and recommendations to be closely monitored to avoid a new incident. These results highlight the toxic potential of pesticides on human health and their biological consequences, which require an increase in consciousness of the precautions imposed on their use, especially when children are nearby.
RESUMO
The growing popularity of electronic cigarettes has raised several public health concerns, including the risks associated with heavy metals exposure via e-liquids and vapors. The purpose of this study was to determine, using atomic absorption spectrometry, the concentrations of Pb, Ni, Zn, and Co in some commercially available e-liquid samples from Romania immediately after purchase and after storage in clearomizers. Lead and zinc were found in all investigated samples before storage. The initial concentrations of Pb ranged from 0.13 to 0.26 mg L-1, while Zn concentrations were between 0.04 and 0.07 mg L-1. Traces of nickel appeared in all investigated e-liquids before storage but in very small amounts (0.01-0.02 mg L-1). Co was below the detection limits. We investigated the influence of the storage period (1, 3, and 5 days), storage temperature (22 °C and 40 °C), and type of clearomizer. In most cases, the temperature rise and storage period increase were associated with higher concentrations of heavy metals. This confirms that storage conditions can affect metal transfer and suggests that the temperature of storage is another parameter that can influence this phenomenon.