The Department of Health (DoH) has
published a revised and expanded edition of the book Pesticide Poisoning
Notes for the Guidance of Medical Practitioners and aims for wide
distribution among the medical community. The DoH recognises it is important
that doctors have a ready source of up-to-date guidance on the clinical symptoms
likely to occur in cases of poisoning by pesticides, on first aid treatment, on
indications for referral to hospital and hospital management, and on sources of
further advice. Clearly doctors will continue to rely on the Poisons Units'
telephone information service. The reference book will offer additional
hard-copy back-up to the established system. The principal aspects of acute
toxicity and treatment for poisoning are provided for 28 major groups of
pesticides. There is also an index of thousands of pesticide products and their
respective active ingredients, available on the UK market. One page only is
devoted to chronic effects of pesticides where cause and effect are always more
difficult to pin-point.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has given its backing
to the report. Dr David Morgan, Head of Scientific Affairs at the BMA said:
"There is a clear need for doctors to gain a better understanding of the
chemical risks of pesticides, as the BMA found in its report Pesticides
Chemicals and Health (Edward Arnold 1990). We therefore welcome this second
edition of the Department of Health's book Pesticides Poisoning and its
helpful practical advice to doctors."
The Pesticide Exposure Group of Sufferers (PEGS) have also
given a cautious welcome. Enfys Chapmam of PEGS, who has long awaited the second
edition, said: "It goes some way to improve the information available on acute
poisoning, and is much improved on the first edition".
Alex Proudfoot (Ed.) Pesticide
Poisoning, 2nd edition: Notes for the guidance of medical practitioners,
Department of Health, UK, April 1996, 130pp. (All general practices, accident
and emergency departments, consultants in communicable disease control, medical
colleges and professional bodies will receive a copy.)
[This
article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 33, September 1996,
page 25]