Gender,intoxication and the developing brain: Problematisations of drinking among young adults in Australian alcohol policy

In this article, we draw on recent scholarly work in the poststructuralist analysis of policy to consider how policy itself functions as a key site in the constitution of alcohol ‘problems’, and the political implications of these problematisations. We do this by examining Australian alcohol policy as it relates to young adults (18–24 years old). Our critical analysis focuses on three national alcohol policies (1990, 2001 and 2006) and two Victorian state alcohol policies (2008 and 2013), which together span a 25-year period. We argue that Australian alcohol policies have conspicuously ignored young adult men, despite their ongoing over-representation in the statistical ‘evidence base’ on alcohol-related harm, while increasingly problematising alcohol consumption amongst other population subgroups. We also identify the development of a new problem representation in Australian alcohol policy, that of ‘intoxication’ as the leading cause of alcohol-related harm and rising hospital admissions, and argue that changes in the classification and diagnosis of intoxication may have contributed to its prioritisation and problematisation in alcohol policy at the expense of other forms of harm. Finally, we draw attention to how preliminary and inconclusive research on the purported association between binge drinking and brain development in those under 25 years old has been mobilised prematurely to support calls to increase the legal purchasing age from 18 to 21 years. Our critical analysis of the treatment of these three issues – gender, intoxication, and brain development – is intended to highlight the ways in which policy functions as a key site in the constitution of alcohol ‘problems’.     

二巯基丙磺酸钠对苯硫丹和多噻烷急性中毒小鼠的保护作用

用二巯基丙磺酸钠对苯硫丹、多噻烷急性染毒小鼠进行保护解救。结果表明：二巯基丙磺酸钠对该两农药急性染毒小鼠具有显著的保护作用（Ｐ＜０．０５）。本实验填补了以二巯基丙磺酸钠作为首选药物治疗沙蚕毒系现有全部品种急性中毒解毒谱的空白。     

Decreased R-R variation: A criterium for overdosage of tricyclic psychotropic drugs

Objective Since intoxication with tricyclic antidepressants is common, a supplementary screening method for differentiation between therapeutic and supratherapeutic ranges would be a valuable diagnositc tool, particularly in delirious and unconscious patientsSetting 109 patients treated with amitriptyline, 8 patients treated with doxepin, 10 patients treated with clozapine, and 72 normal control subjects matched for age and sex were tested for heart rate variability while resting.Results Considering time and frequency derived measures, which are rather independent of heart rate, the patients showed significantly decreased heart rate variability parameters (p<0.0001), as compared with the normal subjects. Of the patients presenting delirious symptoms 6 showed coefficients of variation more than 4 standard deviations below the mean control value.Conclusions As heart rate variability can be easily calculated, this measurement is suggested as a useful tool to quickly exclude or support the diagnosis of chronic intoxication with tricyclic antidepressants or clozapine.     

Imidazoline intoxication in children

A 15-month-old girl with rhinopharyngitis was treated with a nasal solution containing the imidazoline derivative naphazoline. She rapidly developed profound CNS depression with stupor, hypothermia, hypoventilation and bradycardia. All symptoms disappeared within 24 h. The symptomatology of 18 other paediatric cases of naphtylimidazoline exposure reported to the Belgian National Poison Centre, is also discussed. Imidazoline intoxication due to overdose or accidental ingestion but also after normal therapeutic usage is frequent in children. It can cause severe CNS depression, especially in very young children. For these reasons vasoconstrictor imidazoline containing solutions should be prescribed with caution and kept out of reach of children.     

Effect of carbon disulphide intoxication on fecal excretion of end products of cholesterol metabolism

Summary The aim of this study was to compare the time course of ¹⁴C-steroid excretion following administration of ¹⁴C-cholesterol in normal and CS₂intoxicated rats. The excretion of steroid with the feces was evaluated in the normal and CS₂ intoxicated rats at the end of 7 month exposure to CS₂. The results of the experiment indicated that in rats exposed to CS₂ excretion of ¹⁴C-steroid is lower. It was due to a reduced excretion of ¹⁴C-bile acid fraction while at the same time the share of sterol + rose. On the basis of our former results which excluded the influence of CS₂ on absorption of cholesterol and indicated its effect on cholesterol synthesis it was revealed in this experiment that intoxication with CS₂ also inhibits cholesterol degradation. Disturbances of both processes can be essential for accumulation of cholesterol in blood of animals intoxicated with CS₂.This investigation has been carried out under the Polish-American agreement No. 05-008-2 with the Occupational Health Program, U.S. Public Health Service     

Lidocaine intoxication in newborn following maternal pudendal anesthesia: report of three cases

Pudendal nerve block may be indicated during instrumental delivery in situations where peridural anesthesia is unavailable. We report three cases of neonatal lidocaine intoxication following maternal pudendal block during delivery. Clinical features were hypotonia, pupillary mydriasis fixed to light, apnea, cyanosis and seizures. Two neonates required mechanical ventilation. Lidocaine was found in the serum of two babies. In all three cases, recovery was complete. The pharmacokinetics of lidocaine in a highly vascularized perineum during labor increase the risk of neonatal intoxication. A possible intoxication by local anesthetics should be considered in neonates presenting an acute distress in the delivery room.     

急性有机磷中毒患者心肌酶和心电图的变化及临床意义

目的　探讨急性有机磷中毒 (AOPP)患者血清肌酸激酶 (CK)、肌酸激酶同工酶 (CK -MB)、乳酸脱氢酶 (LDH)和心电图的变化规律及其临床意义。方法　 6 1例AOPP患者 (中毒组 )在中毒后第 1～ 10天分别检测血清心肌酶和心电图 ,同时选择 41例正常人作对照。结果　 (1)与对照组比较中毒组的CK、CK -MB、LDH水平在第 1～ 10天均明显增高 ,差异有显著性 (P <0 0 5～ 0 0 1) ,在第 2～ 4天有较高的峰值平台 ;(2 )轻、中、重度中毒组和对照组间血清中CK、CK -MB、LDH水平的两两比较差异均有显著性 (P <0 0 1) ;(3)心电图异常改变构成比随中毒程度加重而增大 ,重度中毒组心电图异常改变占严重心律失常的主要比例。结论　在中毒的第 2～ 4天组织损害越严重 ,血清中各酶水平增加越明显 ,则组织损害更加严重 ;中毒程度越深 ,心电图异常改变越多 ,严重的心律失常也更多 ,对重度中毒患者应进行心电监护 ,以避免心源性猝死     

More than skin deep

We present the case of a woman in her 50s with past medical history significant for psoriasis treated with methotrexate on a stable dose for the past 20?years, diabetes mellitus and chronic kidney disease. In the setting of a long flight, dehydration and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug consumption, the patient presented to the emergency department with oral mucositis and cutaneous erosions and ulcers of the psoriasis plaques. MTX levels were normal corroborated by three different measurements in 24?h. Initially the complete blood count tests were significant for macrocytic, thrombocytopenia (82.000 10³/L) and impaired kidney function. The patient was diagnosed of acute methotrexate toxicity and started on intravenous folinic acid. In 24?h the patient developed severe pancytopenia. She required treatment with colony-stimulating factors, platelet and blood transfusions. After 10?days, the CBC improved to normal levels and the cutaneous lesions resolved.     

First description of the alpha lipoic acid intoxication in an adult patient worldwide following oral administration

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA), which is an anti-oxidant acting as a scavenger for reactive oxygen species, is especially used to improve glycemic control and prevent polyneuropathies associated with diabetes mellitus. ALA is considered to be a safe drug and intoxication with ALA is extremely rare. However, this paper reports a 38-year-old young woman who was admitted to the emergency department after she had ingested ten pills of 600 mg ALA belonging to her diabetic parent, which led to delirium, metabolic acidosis, thrombocytopenia, and rhabdomyolysis. To the best of our knowledge, there are only four cases of ALA intoxication reported in the literature and all were observed in children. This report aims to present the first case of ALA related intoxication worldwide in an adult patient.