A postcard intervention reduced suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a non-Western population. Sustained, brief contact by mail may reduce suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in individuals who self-poison.

To characterize the poisoning cases admitted to the Loghman-Hakim Hospital Poison Center (a teaching reference hospital of poisoning) in Tehran, Iran. All admitted acutely poisoned patients from January to December 2003 were evaluated retrospectively. Information of socio-demographic characteristics, agents and cause of poisoning, and the mortality rate were collected from medical records of the hospital. During this period, 24 179 cases were referred to the emergency department that 10 206 of them were admitted. Of the admitted cases, 51% were male and 49% female. The majority (38%) of cases were in the age range of 21—30 years. Most (79%) of poisonings were intentional and 21% were unintentional. The most important agents of acute poisoning were drugs (69.13%) especially sedative-hypnotics followed by opioids (12.34%) and pesticides especially organophosphates (OPs) (6.21%). The mortality rate was 1.3% (318 patients). Death was mostly occurred by opioids (41.54%), followed by drugs (28%) and pesticides especially OPs (12%). The prevention and treatment of poisoning due to opioids, pesticides specially OPs and sedative-hypnotics drugs should merit high priority in the health care of the indigenous population of Tehran. Human & Experimental Toxicology (2007) 26, 753— 756

The use of pesticides such as aluminium phosphide (AlP) has increased in the recent years and improved the quantity and quality of agricultural products in a number of developing countries. The downside is that AlP causes severe chronic and acute health effects that have reached major proportions in countries such as India, Iran, Bangladesh, and Jordan. Nearly 300,000 people die due to pesticide poisoning in the world every year. Poisoning with AlP accounts for many of these deaths. Unfortunately, at the same time, there is no standard treatment for it. The aim of this article is to give a brief review of AlP poisoning and propose a treatment flowchart based on the knowledge gained so far. For this purpose we reviewed all articles on the management of AlP poisoning published from 2000 till now. Using a modified Delphi design, we have designed a handy flowchart that could be used as a guide for AlP poisoning management of patients in emergency centres.

No abstract