[Description of poisoning reported in Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz region in Morocco between 1981 and 2008]. / Description des intoxications notifiées dans la région de Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz au Maroc entre 1981 et 2008.

In Morocco, the Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz region is one of the 16 regions most affected by poisoning. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological profile of poisoning recorded in the study region. A retrospective study of poisoning cases, declared between 1981 and 2008 in the Morocco Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center, was conducted. During the study period, 8517 poisoning cases were collected. The average age of patients was 22 ± 15 years. The male/female sex ratio was 0.85. Food poisoning was the most reported in the region, with 26.6% of cases. Among the 2,779 patients for whom the outcome was known, 65 died, with lethality rate of 23.4‰. The maximum lethality rate was recorded among those poisoned by paraphenylenediamine (170.7‰).

Prevalence and preventability of adverse drug events in a teaching hospital: a cross-sectional study.

We determined the prevalence of adverse drug events (ADEs) in a general teaching hospital in Rabat, Morocco. We performed a 5-day cross-sectional study of hospital departments recruiting inpatients and outpatients. Among the 1390 patients surveyed, 59 (4.2%) experienced at least 1 ADE and for 20 patients (1.4%) the ADE was responsible for hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization. The ADE was classified as serious in 28 patients. Of the total of 76 ADEs, 10 (13.2%) were categorized as preventable; 6 of these occurred during the treatment monitoring phase. Patients who experienced an ADE were more likely to be women, to be younger (< 30 years) and to be hospitalized in medical departments.

Prevalence and preventability of adverse drug events in a teaching hospital: a cross-sectional study

We determined the prevalence of adverse drug events [ADEs] in a general teaching hospital in Rabat, Morocco. We performed a 5-day cross-sectional study of hospital departments recruiting inpatients and outpatients. Among the 1390 patients surveyed, 59 [4.2%] experienced at least 1 ADE and for 20 patients [1.4%] the ADE was responsible for hospitalization or prolongation of hospitalization. The ADE was classified as serious in 28 patients. Of the total of 76 ADEs, 10 [13.2%] were categorized as preventable; 6 of these occurred during the treatment monitoring phase. Patients who experienced an ADE were more likely to be women, to be younger [< 30 years] and to be hospitalized in medical departments

Epidemiological profile of snakebites in Morocco

The present work aims to find the epidemiological profile of snakebites in Morocco through a retrospective study of 1,423 snakebite cases that occurred between 1992 and 2007. Data were obtained from medical charts of envenomation at the Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center of Morocco. Results revealed that 86 percent of the snakebites had occurred in rural areas and that males were significantly more affected than females at a sex ratio of 23:20. Furthermore, 35 percent of the bites happened during the summer, with a peak of 215 cases in June (15.1 percent). We also discovered that 67.3 percent of the patients were bitten during the day. The age group that comprised the most agriculturally active persons, from 20 to 44 years old, was the most affected by snakebites (551 cases). In terms of evolution, patients who were at least 60 years of age (8.89 percent) as well as those who were less than 10 years old (7.50 percent) presented higher mortality. According to clinical severity grades, the data revealed a 70 percent predominance of grade 2 cases (430). Deaths had occurred only in patients with grades 3 and 4. Furthermore, grade 4 patients presented 100 percent mortality whereas grade 3 registered 10.7 percent. The distribution of snakebites according to administrative regions in Morocco showed a predominance of the Souss-Massa-Daraa region both in terms of frequency (32 percent) and mortality (72.1 percent). Our study clearly displayed the severity and extent of the snakebite problem in the country, thus revealing that public health authorities should give more attention to this serious situation.(AU)

[National strategy in the battle against scorpion stings and envenomations. Application and evaluation]. / Stratégie nationale de lutte contre les piqûres et envenimations scorpioniques. Application et évaluation.

Scorpion stings represent the first cause of poisoning with an incidence of 30 to 50% of all declared cases in the Centre Anti Poison of Morocco (CAPM). Aware of this increasing problem, the CAPM paid special attention to this pathology. Thanks to its retrospective and prospective studies, the scorpion species mapping has been determined as well as the demographic features of stung patients, the nature and the chronology of clinical events in scorpion envenimation, and the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutical factors of severity. On this basis, the CAPM worked out a national strategy to struggle against scorpion stings whose aim was to decrease the morbidity and mortality caused by stings of scorpion as well as to rationalise economic expenses. The components of this strategy were based on the training of the medical and paramedical staff, on information, education, communication involving different sectors, on identification of needs and on follow-up and assessment. A nationwide campaign was implemented to change the population and health-care staff's behaviour regarding this pathology. Its evaluation permitted to improve the compilation of cases with census of 14104 cases, to reduce lethality rate and to rationalise expenses while banishing some medicines and avoiding useless hospitalization.

Ochratoxin A in beverages from Morocco: a preliminary survey.

In a preliminary study, samples of Moroccan wines (n = 30), beers (n = 5) and fruit juices (n = 14) were assayed for ochratoxin A (OTA) by HPLC with fluorimetric detection, followed by confirmation by cleavage of the OTA molecule using carboxypeptidase with HPLC-fluorimetric determination of ochratoxin alpha (OT alpha). All the wine samples were contaminated, and the overall median OTA concentration was 0.65 microg/l (range 0.028-3.24 microg/l). One of the 14 samples of fruit juices was contaminated with a concentration of 1.16 microg/l, whereas none of the five beer samples was contaminated. This is the first report on the occurrence of OTA in various beverages from Morocco.