Poison control

About: Poison control is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 394709 publications have been published within this topic receiving 15781638 citations.

Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care populations

Abstract: Excessive drinking contributes significantly to social problems, physical and psychological illness, injury and death Hidden effects include increased levels of violence, accidents and suicide Most alcohol-related harm is caused by excessive drinkers whose consumption exceeds recommended drinking levels, not the drinkers with severe alcohol dependency problems One way to reduce consumption levels in a community may be to provide a brief intervention in primary care over one to four sessions This is provided by healthcare workers such as general physicians, nurses or psychologists In general practice, patients are routinely asked about alcohol consumption during registration, general health checks and as part of health screening (using a questionnaire) They tend not to be seeking help for alcohol problems when presenting The intervention they are offered includes feedback on alcohol use and harms, identification of high risk situations for drinking and coping strategies, increased motivation and the development of a personal plan to reduce drinking It takes place within the time-frame of a standard consultation, 5 to 15 minutes for a general physician, longer for a nurseA total of 29 controlled trials from various countries were identified, in general practice (24 trials) or an emergency setting (five trials) Participants drank an average of 306 grams of alcohol (over 30 standard drinks) per week on entry to the trial Over 7000 participants with a mean age of 43 years were randomised to receive a brief intervention or a control intervention, including assessment only After one year or more, people who received the brief intervention drank less alcohol than people in the control group (average difference 38 grams/week, range 23 to 54 grams) For men (some 70% of participants), the benefit of brief intervention was a difference of 57 grams/week, range 25 to 89 grams (six trials) The benefit was not clear for women The benefits of brief intervention were similar in the normal clinical setting and in research settings with greater resources Longer counselling had little additional benefit

Personality and risk-taking: common biosocial factors.

Abstract: The first part of this article describes a study of the relationships between personality and risk-taking in six areas: smoking, drinking, drugs, sex, driving, and gambling. The participants, 260 college students, were given self-report measures of risky behaviors in each of the six areas and the Zuckerman- Kuhlman five-factor personality questionnaire. Generalized risk-taking (across all six areas) was related to scales for impulsive sensation seeking, aggression, and sociability, but not to scales for neuroticism or activity. Gender differences on risk-taking were mediated by differences on impulsive sensation seeking. The second part discusses biological traits associated with both risk-taking and personality, particularly sensation seeking, such as the D4 dopamine receptor gene, the enzyme monoamine oxidase, and augmenting or reducing of the cortical evoked potential. Comparative studies show relationships between biological markers shared with other species and correlated behaviors similar to sensation seeking in humans. A biosocial model of the traits underlying risk-taking is presented. Many of life's decisions involve a balance between anticipated reward and risk. The wild rodent venturing into an open field balances the possibility of finding food against the chance of being devoured by a predator on the ground or from the sky. The married man or woman who

Risk factors for falls in a community-based prospective study of people 70 years and older.

Abstract: We investigated factors associated with falls in a community-based prospective study of 761 subjects 70 years and older The group experienced 507 falls during the year of monitoring On entry to the study a number of variables had been assessed in each subject Variables associated with an increased risk of falling differed in men and women In men, decreased levels of physical activity, stroke, arthritis of the knees, impairment of gait, and increased body sway were associated with an increased risk of falls In women, the total number of drugs, psychotropic drugs and drugs liable to cause postural hypotension, standing systolic blood pressure of less than 110 mmHg, and evidence of muscle weakness were also associated with an increased risk of falling Most falls in elderly people are associated with multiple risk factors, many of which are potentially remediable The possible implications of this in diagnosis and prevention are discussed Language: en

Falls by elderly people at home: prevalence and associated factors.

Abstract: Of 1042 individuals aged 65 years and over who were successfully interviewed in a community survey of health and physical activity, 35% (n = 356) reported one or more falls in the preceding year. Although the overall ratio of female fallers to male fallers was 2.7:1, this ratio approached unity with advancing age. Mobility was significantly impaired in those reporting falls. Asked to provide a reason for their falls, 53% reported tripping, 8% dizziness and 6% reported blackouts. A further 19% were unable to give a reason. There was no association between falls and the use of diuretics, antihypertensives or tranquilizers, but a significant association between falls and the use of hypnotics and antidepressants was found. Discriminant analysis of selected medical and anthropometric variables indicated that handgrip strength in the dominant hand and reported symptoms of arthritis, giddiness and foot difficulties were most influential in predicting reports of recent falls.

Extending the School Grounds?—Bullying Experiences in Cyberspace

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Bullying is a national public health problem affecting millions of students. With the rapid increase in electronic or online communication, bullying is no longer limited to schools. The goal of the current investigation was to examine the overlap among targets of, and the similarities between, online and in-school bullying among Internet-using adolescents. Additionally, a number of common assumptions regarding online or cyberbullying were tested. METHODS: An anonymous Web-based survey was conducted with one thousand four hundred fifty-four 12- to 17-year-old youth. RESULTS: Within the past year, 72% of respondents reported at least 1 online incident of bullying, 85% of whom also experienced bullying in school. The most frequent forms of online and in-school bullying involved name-calling or insults, and the online incidents most typically took place through instant messaging. When controlling for Internet use, repeated school-based bullying experiences increased the likelihood of repeated cyberbullying more than the use of any particular electronic communication tool. About two thirds of cyberbullying victims reported knowing their perpetrators, and half of them knew the bully from school. Both in-school and online bullying experiences were independently associated with increased social anxiety. Ninety percent of the sample reported they do not tell an adult about cyberbullying, and only a minority of participants had used digital tools to prevent online incidents.