Study of burn deaths in Nagpur, Central India

A series of 384 victims of burn deaths were reviewed to determine the trends of burn deaths in Nagpur, an urban area of Central India. It was found that deaths due to burning accounted for 21.6% of the total medicolegal deaths. Female (74.2%) predominance was seen in burning with male-female ratio equal to 1:2.9. Most of the victims of burn deaths were between 11-40 years with peak at 21-30 years (47.1%). Married (79.9%) outnumbered unmarried ones in burning. Accidental burning (75%) was the commonest manner of burn deaths followed by suicidal and homicidal burning. Kerosene was the main causative factor for burning with kerosene burner as the commonest causative agent. The kitchen (69.3%) was the commonest place of burning and clothes of the body, particularly the sari as the commonest vehicle of burns.     

The prevalence of driveway back-over injuries in the era of sports utility vehicles

Background

Small children are vulnerable to serious accidents when a motor vehicle is placed in motion in a driveway. We describe a series of such accidents, consider the predisposing factors, and analyze the outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of the trauma database of a large, level I, freestanding children's hospital with specific attention to driveway auto-pedestrian accidents.

Results

During an 8-year period, 495 children were treated for injuries sustained in auto-pedestrian accidents, with 128 occurring in the driveway. The children's median age was 2.9 years, with 54% of the injuries sustained by boys. These often serious accidents carried an overall mortality rate of 6%. The most common injuries were abrasions, blunt head injury, and fractures. Chest trauma was associated with the highest mortality (11%), and both chest and abdominal trauma had the highest median Injury Severity Score of 13. Orthopedic injuries were the most common reason for operative intervention. Thirty-one percent of the children required intensive care unit monitoring, with their average unit stay being 3.9 days. Cars, trucks, and sports utility vehicles comprised 55%, 25%, and 12% of the accidents, respectively. Truck accidents carried the highest mortality rate (19%). Accidents were more likely to occur between 3:00 and 8:00 pm, between Thursday and Saturday, and between May and October. An increasing number of accidents occurred during the last 4 years of the study.

Conclusions

Driveway injuries are an underrecognized often severe form of auto-pedestrian accidents. To prevent these family tragedies, drivers of large vehicles with children younger than 12 years old should be extremely attentive and account for children outside the vehicle before moving.     

The effect of each of three physicochemical variables on solute uptake by polyvinylchloride infusion bags

The effect of each of three physicochemical variables, solute concentration, electrolyte concentration and temperature on the uptake of six model solutes by Polyvinylchloride (PVC) infusion containers has been investigated. It has been shown that the solute uptake is independent of the initial concentration of the solute and that both temperature and electrolyte concentration have significant effects on the extent of solute loss. The Arrhenius equation has been used to described the temperature effect on solute uptake into PVC bags. The extent of solute uptake from solution in the presence of electrolytes without large ions is a function of increasing ionic strength. It is suggested that the sorption number which can be used to predict solute uptake needs to be adjusted by the use of correction factors for temperature and for vehicle ionic strength, as appropriate.     

吸入因子:汽车尾气污染健康影响的一种评价方法

吸入因子的概念是从人体健康角度评价污染物危害的一种方法.该文概述了此概念的历史发展与现实意义,并对其定义计算进行了分析探讨,认为其计算方法大致可分为以空间区域为研究主体和以人群为研究主体两种,而后者更适合于汽车尾气污染吸入因子的计算.在汽车尾气污染吸入因子的计算中,需要对相关人群进行调查研究,将其时间-活动方式与微环境浓度相结合,这其中,微环境暴露浓度模型的建立将是一个关键.     

Exhibition of stochastic resonance in vestibular tilt motion perception

Background

Stochastic Resonance (SR) is a phenomenon broadly described as “noise benefit”. The application of subsensory electrical Stochastic Vestibular Stimulation (SVS) via electrodes behind each ear has been used to improve human balance and gait, but its effect on motion perception thresholds has not been examined.

Social determinants of health as drivers of inequities in pediatric injury

A child's social determinants of health (SDH), including their neighborhood environment, insurance status, race and ethnicity, English language proficiency and geographic location, all significantly impact their risk of injury and outcomes after injury. Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods experience overall higher rates of injury and different types of injuries, including higher rates of motor vehicle-, firearm-, and violence-related injuries. Similarly, children with public insurance or no insurance, as a proxy for lower socioeconomic status, experience higher rates of injuries including firearm-related injuries and non-accidental trauma, with overall worse outcomes. Race and associated racism also impact a child's risk of injury and care received after injury. Black children, Hispanic children, and those from other minority groups disproportionately experience socioeconomic disadvantage with sequelae of injury risk as described above. Even after controlling for socioeconomic status, there are still notable disparities with further evidence of racial inequities and bias in pediatric trauma care after injury. Finally, where a child lives geographically also significantly impacts their risk of injury and available care after injury, with differences based on whether a child lives in a rural or urban area and the degree of state laws regarding injury prevention. There are clear inequities based on a child's SDH, most predominantly in a child's risk of injury and the types of injuries they experience. These injuries are preventable and the SDH provide potential upstream targets in injury prevention efforts.     

Penetration-enhancing effect of ethanolic solution of menthol on transdermal permeation of ondansetron hydrochloride across rat epidermis

The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of an ethanol-water solvent system and ehtanolic solution of menthol on the permeation of ondansetron hydrochloride across the rat epidermis in order to select a suitable ethanol-water vehicle and optimal concentration of menthol for the development of a transdermal therapeutic system. The solubility of ondansetron hydrochloride in ethanol, water and selected concenetrtaion of ethanol-water vehicles (20:80 v/v, 40:60 v/v and 60:40 v/v) was determined. The effect of these solvent vehicles, containing 1.5% w/v of ondansetron hydrochloride, on the in vitro permeation of the drug was studied across the rat epidermis. The highest permeation was observed from 60% v/v of ethanol-water vehicle that showed highest solubilty. Hence, the hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) (2% w/w) gel formulations containing 1.5% w/w of ondansetron hydrochloride and selected concentrations of menthol (0, 2, 4, 8 and 10% w/w) were prepared using 60% v/v of ethanol-water vehicle, and subjected to in vitro permeation of the drug across rat epidermis. The transdermal permeation of ondansetron hydrochloride was enhanced markedly by the addition of menthol to HPC gel drug reservoir formulations. A maximum flux of ondansetron hydrochloride (77.85 ± 2.85 μ g/cm^2.h) was observed with a mean enhancement ratio of 13.06 when menthol was incorporated at a concentration of 8% w/w in HPC gels. However, there was no significant increase in the drug flux with 10% w/w menthol when compared to that obtained with 8% w/w of menthol in HPC gel formulations. The results suggest that 2% w/w HPC gel drug reservoir formulation, prepared with 60% v/v ethanol-water, containing 8% w/w of menthol provides an optimal transdermal permeation of ondansetron hydrochloride.     

空气细颗粒物对交通警察肺通气功能及呼吸道症状的影响

目的 研究空气细颗粒物(PM2.5)暴露对交通警察呼吸道症状及肺通气功能的影响.方法 使用个体采样器测定上海市区107名男性外勤交通警察(高暴露组)及101名居民(一般暴露组)PM2.5的暴露情况,问卷调查获得交通警察和居民的基本情况、呼吸道症状,测定用力呼气肺活量(FVC)、第1秒用力呼气容积(FEV1.0)、FEV1.0/FVC%和最大呼出流速(PEF).比较交通警察和居民PM2.5暴露及呼吸道症状、肺通气功能的差异,对交通警察按工龄分组,研究工龄对肺通气功能的影响,并对肺通气功能降低与颗粒物暴露水平的进行相关分析.结果 交通警察和居民细颗粒物24 h个体平均暴露浓度为分别(115.4±46.17)和(74.94±40.09)μg/m3,高暴露组PM2.5暴露水平明显高于一般暴露组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).高暴露组咳嗽、咳痰、咽部不适及气喘、气短和鼻部不适的发生率明显高于一般暴露组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),高暴露组肺通气功能指标FVC实测/FVC预计%和FEV 1.0实测/FEV1.0预计%的异常率分别为25.23%和12.15%,一般暴露组FVC实测/FVC预计%和FEV1.0实测/FEV1.0预计%的异常率分别为11.88%和2.97%,两组比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),且高暴露组FVC实测/FVC预计%、FEV1.0实测/FEV1.0预计%异常率随工龄延长呈现升高的趋势.结论 长期暴露于较高水平的PM2.5会危害人体呼吸系统健康,导致呼吸道症状增多,降低肺通气功能.