Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Breslau.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991.

A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Medicine in the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology / Accidental poisoning amongst children is a common childhood injury worldwide, attributed commonly to household substances and medications stored within the immediate environment of the child. The incidence of childhood poisonings in South Africa’s most populated and urbanized province of Gauteng is unknown, due to poor record-keeping at medical facilities regarding the incidence and classification of poisoning, coupled with the lack of a local Poison’s Information Centre (PIC). A mixed-methods, case-study design was used to investigate the occurrence of poisonings and poisons management by parents/guardians and healthcare practitioners in the urban suburb of Gauteng, Lenasia. A cross- sectional, self-administered survey was administered to parents/guardians of children attending a random sample of crèches and primary schools in Lenasia, questioning the number of poisonous household substances stored and storage level of these substances, the occurrence of poisoning incidents amongst children and the associated management and knowledge of PIC's. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the local practice of healthcare practitioners regarding accidental childhood poisoning. A total of 4530 questionnaires were handed out, 1730 (38.2%) were returned completed and 256 cases of accidental poisoning were reported. Medications were the most common substances stored, followed by cosmetics and household detergents. More than half (63.26%) of all substances were stored at a level of accessibility to children, with pesticides most commonly stored out of reach of children. The occurrence of a poisoning was significantly associated with the employment status of the mother (p=0.031) and the general non-drug chemical category of household substances (p<0.001) The categories of household substances were significantly associated with the level of storage (p=0.021) and the management of poisoning (p<0.001). There is a lack of knowledge of PIC’s and the prevention and management of poisonings amongst parents/guardians. Semi-structured interviews with healthcare practitioners revealed few cases of poisoning presented at healthcare practitioners, however there is a need for improving health literacy amongst caregivers through community awareness programmes and inter-professional development in addressing this preventable phenomenon amongst children. / GR2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, South Africa in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Master of Medicine in the branch of Community Health Johannesburg, 2014 / BACKGROUND: Lead is one of the most widely used and studied heavy metals. Lead has a number of serious detrimental effects including those related to the nervous system (seizures, ataxia) heamotological system (anaemia) and renal system. The severity and prognosis of diseases related to lead exposure is more pronounced in children, even with very low blood levels. Anecdotal reports of lead melting to make fishing sinkers in South African subsistence fishing communities prompted the conduct of an epidemiological study in four South African fishing villages to investigate the extent of lead melting and the associated risks in children. METHODS: A cross sectional analytical study was conducted. The study was conducted in two schools located along the western (Atlantic Ocean) coast of South Africa (HP Williams Primere in Stompneusbaai and NGK Primary School in Elands Bay) and in two schools located along the southern (Indian Ocean) coast of South Africa Bertie Barnard School in Stilbaai, Struisbaai Primere School in Struisbaai. Blood samples were collected for lead content analysis, and anthropometric measurements were taken. Questionnaires were administered to obtain information about socio-economic status and risk factors for lead exposure. A total of 196 children from grade 0, 1 and 2 were included in the study. RESULTS: Blood lead levels in the sample ranged from 1.9 to 22.4 μg/dl. Central tendency of the blood lead level demonstrated an arithmetic mean of 6.87 μg/dl (95% CI: 6.36 to 7.37 μg/dl) and a median of 6.1 μg/dl. More than half of the children in the study had blood lead levels between 5.0 - 9.9 μg/dl, whilst 13% that had levels higher than 10 μg/dl. Age, sex and ethnicity was not significantly associated with high blood lead levels whilst, lead melting practices and interaction of children with pets were strongly associated with high blood lead levels in children. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of a fisherman in the household and children watching smelting were significantly associated with higher blood lead levels. Village remained a confounding variable in the model. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first report on blood lead levels in fishing villages on the African continent and provides evidence that lead is still used widely as the primary substance used to make fishing sinkers. The prevalence of plumbism was high at 75%. Policy and awareness is needed to address this neglected public health concern.

Chan Yan Keung Thomas. / "October 1999." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 316-345). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

Thesis (PhD (Epidemiology)-- University of Limpopo, 2011. / Acute poisoning constitutes one of the main reasons why patients visit emergency departments of hospitals. However, the burden and pattern of acute poisoning in African countries are not well established, hence the need for this study. This study was conducted in order to compare the patterns of acute poisoning in three countries, namely, Botswana, South Africa, and Uganda. Specifically, this study examined the similarities and differences in the patterns of occurrence of acute poisoning based on the sociodemographic characteristics of the victims, the toxic agents involved, and the circumstances of the incidents. The study was based on six papers published on the topic. Papers I and II about Botswana covered a period of 24 months (January 2004 - December 2005) and six months (January - June 2005) respectively. The data from Uganda, as reported in Paper III, covered a six-month period (January-June 2005); while studies in South Africa, Papers IV to VI, covered respectively six (January-June 2005) and 18 months (January 2000-June 2001). A re-analysis of data from Papers II to IV was conducted after recoding age category and the grouping of toxic agents. In total, the six Papers reported data on 1780 patients; 54.8% of them were male. The median age was 24 years in Uganda, but as low as 17 years in Botswana and South Africa. In Botswana and South Africa, acute poisoning incidents occurred mostly in children younger than 12 years old, then decreased among teenagers, and increased again among young adults, before decreasing among patients over 30 years old. On the contrary, in Uganda there was that less than 5% of children younger than 12 years who were victims of poisoning. There was an increase in the prevalence of acute poisoning among teenagers and young adults before a decrease occurred among adults over 30 years old. The overall case fatality rate was 2.1 %, ranging from 1.4% in Uganda, 2.4% in South Africa, to 2.6% in Botswana. With regard to similarities across the three countries, it was found that among teenagers, girls committed more deliberate self-poisoning than boys; while in young adults, men committed more self-poisoning than women. With regard to toxic agents, household products were involved in fatal Page 9 of 136 outcomes in all three countries; while agrichemicals were more involved in deliberate than accidental poisonings; food poisoning affected more females than males. With regard to disparities across the three countries, the age and gender of the victims, the circumstances of the incidents and the types of toxic agents played a significant role. With regard to gender, the majority of the victims were males in Uganda, females in South Africa; while in Botswana, females and males were affected equally. Among teenagers, the toxic agents most involved in the poisoning incidents were pharmaceuticals in Botswana; household chemicals in South Africa; but agrichemicals in Uganda. While the majority of incidents happened by accident in Botswana and South Africa, being respectively 76.7% and 59.1%; in Uganda, 64.5% of acute poisoning cases were deliberate self¬poisoning. Deliberate self-poisoning was responsible for 50% of deaths in Uganda, 30% in South Africa, but no death in Botswana. The majority of deaths occurred among teenagers in South Africa; in Uganda it was among adults over 30years; while in Botswana, the majority of deaths were distributed almost equally amongst children younger than 12years old and young adults. Diverse products were involved in fatal outcomes. In South Africa, pharmaceuticals, particularly drugs of abuse, cocaine and marijuana; as well as carbon monoxide, and organophosphates were involved in fatalities. While, in Botswana, the products involved were paraffin, traditional medicines, pharmaceuticals, food poisoning, plants, and snake envenomation. In contrast, in Uganda, alcohol intoxication, organophosphates, carbon monoxide, and some unspecified household products lead to fatalities. Household chemicals were involved in the deaths of victims in all three countries; but the extent of their involvement differed from country to country. This group of products was responsible of 75% of deaths in Uganda, half of deaths in South Africa, and in a third of deaths in Botswana. Agrichemicals were involved in the deaths of victims in Uganda and South Africa, but not in Botswana. They were involved in a quarter of deaths in Uganda and 10% of deaths in South Africa. Page 10 of 136 Plants and traditional medicines were involved in two-thirds of the deaths only in Botswana; while pharmaceuticals were involved in 40% of fatal outcomes only in South Africa. In conclusion, the contextual factors of each country led to a pattern of acute poisoning that showed some similarities with regard to the distribution of deliberate self-poisoning among females, teenagers, and young adult victims. However, there were disparities relating to the differential access to toxic agents, based on the age and gender of the victims. Moreover, though the case fatality rate was similar across the three countries, the distribution of deaths based on age, gender, circumstances of poisoning and types of toxic agents involved differed among the three countries. These findings suggest that multifaceted interventions should be implemented including policy development, enforcement of the existing legislation, and the establishment of a surveillance mechanism, in-service training of clinicians and revision of treatment guidelines. These interventions should be tailored to meet the specific realities of each country.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Queensland, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Certain of these isotopes appear suitable for activation analysis by neutron or other type of bombardment, which, in the future, could provide a much more sensitive technique for determination of trace quantities of the element than the spectrographic or oolorimetrio methods currently employed. The metal tarnishes in air and burns when heated forming the oxide. It occurs naturally in small quantities associated with sine, and was discovered by Strongmeyer in 1817 as an impurity in zinc carbonate. Cadmium volatilizes before zinc during the course of preparation of the metal, and condenses as a brown oxide, which is then reduced with carbon. It forms a number of salts, the chloride and sulfate being readily available in high degree of purity.

published_or_final_version / Mechanical Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1986.