Hospital-based survey of pesticide poisoning in Japan, 1998--2002.

Abstract

Data concerning clinical cases of pesticide poisoning from 1998 to 2002 from the hospitals affiliated with the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine were analyzed. 346 cases of poisoning by agricultural chemicals were reported from 65 hospitals. Suicides accounted for 70% of pesticide poisoning cases, followed by accidental exposures during spraying work (16%) and accidental ingestion (8%). The majority of cases were acute or subacute systemic poisonings (90%), followed by acute dermatitis (5%) and chemical burns (3%). Organophosphate insecticide was the most frequent inducer of clinical cases (36%), followed by bipyridylium herbicide (20%) and carbamate insecticide (6%). The death rate from poisoning by the herbicide paraquat was more than 70% of clinical cases, even though it is a low-concentration product, whereas those from the alternative herbicides, glufosinate and glyphosate, were less than 10%.

• Authors: Hiroshi Nagami, Yoshio Nishigaki, Shosui Matsushima, Toshio Matsushita, Shinji Asanuma, Nobuki Yajima, Makoto Usuda, Miwako Hirosawa
• Journal: International journal of occupational and environmental health (Int J Occup Environ Health) 2005 Apr-Jun Vol. 11 Issue 2 Pg. 180-4 ISSN: 1077-3525 [Print] England
• PMID: 15875894 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Pesticides

Topics

• Aged
• Female
• Health Surveys
• Hospitals (statistics & numerical data)
• Humans
• Japan
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pesticides (poisoning)
• Retrospective Studies
• Suicide