Poisoning is a common medico-social problem in our country causing around 300,000 episodes and around 2000 death per year. The number of poisoning cases is increasing in our country day by day. The common pattern of poisoning in our country is suicidal, homicidal/criminal and accidental. The incidence, nature, etiology, age group affected and the outcome of poisoning in our country is different from that of the western world. A prospective descriptive study of poisoning cases in Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital was attempted in 2004.Among 100 cases, age of the cases ranged from 15-65 years. Sixty four percent were male. Around 68 percent cases were found businessman, 48% were from low-income group and Fifty three percent cases were educated up to secondary level.Among male patients 57.81% of poisoning caused by suspected sedative poisoning (transport related poison), 28.12% by organophophorous, 3.12% by copper sulphate, 4.98 by benzodiazepines (attempted suicide), 4.98% by Acid and 1.56% by kerosene. Among female patients 41.66% of poisoning caused by organophosphorous compounds, 19.44% by rat killer, 11.11% by copper sulphate, 8.33% by benzodiazepines, 5.55% by acid, 5.55% by savlon, 5.55% by herpic and 2.77% by phenol.Transport related poisoning by short acting sedative-hypnotics for the purpose of hijacking the belongings of the travelers and agrochemicals-organophosphorous compounds for suicidal purpose are the most common poisoning in our country. The pattern and magnitude of poisoning are thus multidimensional and demanding multi-sectoral approach for facing the problem. The comprehensive patient care can improve the poisoning case management in our country. DOI: 10.3329/jdmc.v17i2.6593J Dhaka Med Coll. 2008; 17(2) : 111-115

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The incidence of hepatitis-B among health care workers due to medical waste handling has been a subject of interest. A hospital base survey was done in Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Chittagong during the period of April 2009 through June 2009 among health care workers was done to identify the problem. All types of health care workers especially those are very much vulnerable to needle stick puncture like nurses, ward boys, cleaners, laboratory technicians and doctors were included in this study.Total number of respondents was one hundred (sixty eight male and thirty two female). Age of the respondents ranged from 20-60 years with on average age of 24 ± 5.5 years. 62% of health care workers do not aware of hazards of medical waste. Only 38% are aware of infectious medical waste. Among them only 12% learned about the hazards of medical waste from hospital authority. Rest of them is aware of this implication from personal information. All of the health care workers claimed that they have no training on medical waste handling safely. Even they do not take any protective measure. 66% of the health care workers of different service type were punctured at least once or several times. So the puncture rate was counted with special attention. Sixty percent of ward boys, 90% of nurses, 25% of doctors and 80% of laboratory technicians were punctured once or several times within their job duration.These 5% health care workers were HbsAg positive. Among them one ward boy, two nurses, one cleaner and one laboratory technician were infected with hepatitis B virus. All of them had history of needle stick puncture. One HbsAg positive case was excluded from this study because of history of blood transfusion. Waste sharps are considered highly infectious medical waste causing hepatitis B frequently. Key words: Medical waste; occupational risk; hepatitis B. DOI: 10.3329/jdmc.v18i2.6275 J Dhaka Med Coll. 2009; 18(2) : 140-143

Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is a rare hereditary  disorder having the prevalence of 3.4 per million. It is  characterized by symptoms and signs of  hypoparathyroidism, typically in association with distinctive  skeletal and developmental defects. The features of  hypoparathyroidism are due to tissue resistance to the effect  of parathyroid hormone (PTH). We will describe a 32-yearold  woman who had recurrent convulsion for 16 years,  infertility, cataract, psychosis, candidiasis and typical  features of Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy (AHO),  which include a round face, short neck, short stature and  brachydactyly. Laboratory investigations showed  hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia with high PTH level.  Computed tomography scan of head revealed wide spread   calcification in basal ganglia and cerebral hemispheres. X  ray of left foot showed short left 4th metatarsal bone. The  patient was diagnosed as a case of PHP on the basis of  somatic features of AHO with typical biochemical  abnormalities and uncontrolled convulsion with combined  antiepileptic drugs for 16 years. The unusual features in our  case are long delay in clinical diagnosis and absence of family  history. She was treated with calcium salt and vitamin D.  With this treatment patient’s condition was improved and she  experiences no attack of convulsion and carpal spasm.  Anticonvulsants were withdrawn gradually. We recommend  that hypocalcaemia should be excluded before commencing  anticonvulsant therapy in all epileptic patients and those  patients whose seizures are refractory to anticonvulsant drugs   DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v29i4.11331   J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2011; 29: 227-230

Most of the hospitalized patients are anaemic to some degree in our country and sometimes need blood transfusion. Complications of blood transfusion are rare but can be life-threatening. Since 2005, it has been a legal requirement that all serious adverse reactions attributable to the safety or quality of blood transfusion are reported. Most reported complications are because of transfusion of mismatched blood products and are avoidable with proper vigilance. A 45 year old female who underwent salpingo-oophorectomy with total abdominal hysterectomy for torsion of ovarian cyst and was transfused one unit of blood peroperatively. Blood grouping was accidentally incorrect and cross matching was not done. This mismatched blood transfusion resulted in acute renal failure. Patient was referred from the private hospital to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka and was managed by forced alkaline diuresis and later, haemodialysis. Key words: Mismatched blood transfusion; haemolytic transfusion reactionDOI: 10.3329/jdmc.v19i2.7089J Dhaka Med Coll. 2010; 19(2) : 154-157