Internações hospitalares por causas externas envolvendo contato com animais em um hospital geral do interior da Bahia, 2009-2011 / Hospitalizations due to external causes involving contact with animals in a general hospital in the interior of Bahia State, Brazil, 2009-2011 / Internaciones hospitalarias por causas externas vinculado a contacto con animales en un hospital general del interior de Bahia, Brasil, 2009-2011

OBJETIVO: descrever as características das internações por causas externas envolvendo contato com animais em um hospital geral no interior da Bahia, no período de 2009 a 2011. MÉTODOS: estudo descritivo, com dados sobre internações no município de Jequié-BA. RESULTADOS: foram identificadas 246 internações por acidentes envolvendo contato com animais, sendo principalmente peçonhentos (83,3% por veneno de serpente e 6,5% por veneno de escorpião); predominaram vítimas do sexo masculino (66,7%), do grupo etário de 20 a 59 anos (50,4%) e residentes na zona rural (91,2%); a maioria das internações ocorreu no turno da noite (39,0%) e em dias úteis da semana (69,1%); a maior parte dos casos teve um tempo de internação de 1 a 3 dias (50,8%) e 97,6% deles evoluíram com alta hospitalar. CONCLUSÃO: ofidismo e escorpionismo foram os acidentes mais frequentes, acometendo predominantemente homens jovens residentes na zona rural.

OBJECTIVE: to describe the characteristics of hospitalizations due to external causes involving contact with animals in a general hospital in the interior of Bahia State (BA), Brazil, from 2009 to 2011. METHODS: this was a descriptive study using data on hospital admissions in Jequié-BA. RESULTS: there were 246 admissions owing to accidents involving contact with animals, especially venomous ones (83.3% snake venom, and 6.5% scorpion venom); most involved male victims (66.7%), the 20-59 year age group (50.4%), and people resident in rural areas (91.2%); most hospitalizations occurred during the night shift (39.0%) and on weekdays (69.1%); most cases had 1 to 3 day inpatient stays (50.8%), and 97.6% were subsequently discharged. CONCLUSION: snakebites and scorpion stings were the most frequent accidents and predominantly affected young men living in the rural area.

OBJETIVO: describir las características de las internaciones por causas externas vinculadas al contacto con animales en un hospital general en el interior de Bahia, Brasil, en el período de 2009 a 2011. MÉTODOS: estudio descriptivo, con datos sobre admisiones en Jequié-BA. RESULTADOS: fueron identificadas 246 internaciones por accidentes vinculado al contacto con animales, especialmente venenosos (83,3% veneno de serpiente y 6,5% de escorpión); predominantemente victimas varones (66,7%), entre 20-59 años (50,4%) y residentes de zonas rurales (91,2%); la mayoría de las hospitalizaciones ocurrieron en el turno de noche (39,0%) y en días útiles de semana (69,1%); la mayoría de los casos tuvieron un tiempo de internación de 1 a 3 días (50,8%) y 97,6% fueron dados de alta. CONCLUSIÓN: ofidismo y escorpionismo fueron los accidentes más frecuentes, acometiendo predominantemente hombres jóvenes residentes en la zona rural.

Exposición a agentes de riesgo biológico en trabajadores chilenos: Reporte del Centro de Información Toxicológica de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (CITUC) / Exposure to occupational biological risks: Experience of a toxicology information center

Background: Exposure to Biological Agents during work is an emergent type of occupational risk. Aim: To characterize occupational biological risk exposure among Chilean workers which have been registered by the Toxicology Information Center, between January 2006 and December 2009. Material and Methods: All incoming calls reporting exposure to biological agents during the studied period were analyzed. The information obtained from the caller was registered using the Communication Record Instrument of the WHO International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS INTOX). Results: In the studied period, 77 calls were received. The mean age of exposed patients was 35 ± 15 years and 57% of them were females. The most common involved agents were vaccines for veterinary use (42%) followed by Loxosceles laeta bites in 16%. The main routes of exposure were injections, cuts and needle stick injuries in 39% and stings and bites in 38%. The highest exposure rates were observed in Southern Chile due to self-inoculation of veterinary vaccines used in the salmon industry (22.7/100.000 actual workers). Fifty-eight percent of calls were from health care workers, and 51% of them were from health care facilities. Sixty percent of exposures occurred during summer and spring. There was a fourfold higher risk of calls involving women exposed to bites or stings (odds ratio (OR) 4.5 (CI95 1.5-13.9, p < 0.01). Men had a fourfold higher risk of being exposed to vaccines or medications for veterinary use (OR 4.2, CI95 1.4-12.6 p < 0.01). Conclusions: Most calls involving an exposure to a biological agent were caused by self-inoculation of veterinary medications.