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ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of pesticide, corrosive, drugs, venom and miscellaneous poisoning in India.SettingSystematic literature search was done in PubMed Central, Cochrane and Google Scholar databases for studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria. Systematic review and meta-analyses of all observational studies published in the English language from January 2010 to May 2020 were included in this review.ParticipantsPatients exposed to poisoning reported to hospitals were included.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe prevalence of pesticide poisoning was analysed. The prevalence of poisoning due to corrosives, venom, drugs and miscellaneous agents, along with subgroup analysis based on age and region, was also determined. The percentage of persons with poisoning along with 95% CI was analysed.ResultsPooled analysis of studies revealed that pesticides were the main cause of poisoning in adults, with an incidence of 63% (95% CI 63% to 64%), while miscellaneous agents were the main cause of poisoning in children, with an incidence of 45.0% (95% CI 43.1% to 46.9%), among those presenting to hospitals. Pesticide poisoning was the most prevalent in North India (79.1%, 95% CI 78.4% to 79.9%), followed by South (65.9%, 95% CI 65.3% to 66.6%), Central (59.2%, 95% CI 57.9% to 60.4%), West (53.1%, 95% CI 51.9% to 54.2%), North East (46.9%, 95% CI 41.5% to 52.4%) and East (38.5%, 95% CI 37.3% to 39.7%). The second most common cause of poisoning was miscellaneous agents (18%, 95% CI 18% to 19%), followed by drugs (10%, 95% CI 10% to 10%), venoms (6%, 95% CI 6% to 6%) and corrosives (2%, 95% CI 1% to 2%).ConclusionsPesticide poisoning is the most common type of poisoning in adults, while miscellaneous agents remain the main cause of poisoning in children.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020199427.

Penetrating abdominal injury is often a life-threatening condition, which is mainly associated with inflicted injuries. Fatal self-inflicted sharp force abdominal injuries too have been reported in the literature. Inadvertent penetrating abdominal injuries are a rarity and are caused by sharp objects of low-velocity and often nonmissile-type.A 27-year-old male factory worker was brought dead to the emergency department with an alleged history of sustaining abdominal injury by a sharp metal projectile while working on a metal cutting grinder. Autopsy observations were consistent with the history of inadvertent penetrating injury. Our case reports a fatal missile-type inadvertent sharp force trauma over the abdomen with intestinal perforation, a relatively uncommon scenario in occupational/workplace settings. The present case report describes the significance of the death scene visit and corroborating the medical findings with investigating agencies. This case further emphasizes on the need for adopting proper safety measures at the workplace.

Background Radiology is among India's top five speciality choices pursued by meritorious medical graduates. With the advent of the subspecialization degree courses, fellowships, the requirement of senior residency as faculty eligibility criteria, and the lucrative option of private practice, the final-year postgraduates are given opportunities to choose from but with little guidance on what and how to choose. This study aims to analyze the views of the final-year radiology postgraduate residents in India regarding their understanding of how to proceed in their professional life with options available. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted online via Google forms distributed via email and social media platforms. The questionnaire was prepared after going through previous literature, video blogs, and media available on the Internet and was further validated for content. Results About half (48%) of them wished to pursue higher studies in the form of Doctorate of Medicine (DM) degree courses or fellowships. Almost three-quarters of the participants preferred short-term subspecialization via fellowships over 3-year DM courses (28%). Regarding clinical practice, 61.9% preferred to take up senior residency, while slightly over one-third (35.7%) expressed their will to move on to private practice. Conclusion A relative conundrum was observed in the decision to take up senior residency or private practice or to go for DM but had to pursue a fellowship due to limited choice in topics and seats available in the country for subspecialization.