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Purpose: To compare baseline biometry measurements in eyes with pediatric cataract versus age-matched controls Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care hospital that included two arms—prospective arm to collect data from normal eyes and retrospective arm for eyes with pediatric cataract. In the prospective arm, biometry measurements were obtained in healthy children aged 0 to 10 years. Children under the age of four had measurements under anesthesia for an unrelated procedure, while older children had in-office measurements using optical biometry. For comparison, biometric data was collected in children with pediatric cataract through record review. One eye of each patient was randomly selected. Axial length (AL) and keratometry (K) were compared by age and laterality. The medians were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests and variances using Levene's test. Results: There were 100 eyes in each arm, 10 eyes in each age bin of 1-year interval. There was more variability in baseline biometry in eyes with pediatric cataract and a trend for longer AL and steeper K in cataract eyes than aged-matched controls. The difference in AL means was significant in age group 2–4 years, and variances were significant across all age groups (p=0.018). Unilateral cataracts (n=49) showed a trend toward greater variability in biometry than bilateral cataracts, but this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Baseline biometry measures are more variable in eyes with pediatric cataract compared to age-matched controls with a trend toward longer AL and steeper K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Evaluation for systemic diagnosis is an important part of pediatric cataract management. While there are reports on associated systemic and ocular associations in children with infantile cataracts, reports specifying associations in large cohorts of children undergoing cataract surgery are lacking. Methods: Retrospective chart review of consecutive patients undergoing cataract surgery at a pediatric tertiary referral center during 30-year period was performed. Associated systemic and ocular associations were recorded. The etiologies were analyzed depending on laterality, age, and gender. Results: Seven-hundred twenty-seven patients (1135 eyes) were included for analysis: 408 (56%) with bilateral and 319 (44%) with unilateral cataract. An identifiable cause for cataract was identified in 66% (270/408) bilateral and 55% (176/319) unilateral cataract patients. Hereditary cataract accounted for 22% of bilateral cataracts. An underlying syndrome or genetic diagnosis was found in 24% bilateral (97/408, 86 genetic/syndromic, 11 metabolic) but only in 2% of unilateral cases (5/319). Cataracts were the result of treatment for cancer, or other systemic conditions requiring steroids, in 60/408 bilateral (15%) and 15/319 (5%) unilateral cataract patients. In contrast, unilateral cataracts had higher ocular associations (49%, 156/319) than bilateral cataracts (6%, 23/408) primarily ocular trauma (20%, 64/319) and persistent fetal vasculature (20%, 62/319). Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware of potential systemic and ocular associations among children with visually significant cataracts. Those with no family history of juvenile cataract should be evaluated for systemic associations, and referral to genetics may be warranted in select cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to report long-term outcomes of secondary intraocular lens (IOL) implantation after early cataract surgery in children. Methods: This is a retrospective case series that included children undergoing secondary IOL implantation. The patients had either in-the-bag (ITB) or sulcus implantation; alternative methods of IOL fixation were excluded. Single-piece acrylic IOL was used for ITB and 3-piece acrylic or PMMA IOL for sulcus implantation. The visual acuity outcomes and rate of complications at the last follow-up visit were evaluated. Results: One hundred six eyes (70 patients) were analyzed. The mean follow-up was 5.5 ± 3.8 years. Sixty-two eyes (58.5%) had ITB; 44 eyes (41.5%) had sulcus IOL. All but 3 eyes (97.2%) showed stable or improvement in visual acuity. Early inflammation > grade 2 + was noted with sulcus IOL (84% vs 34%, p = 0.01); late inflammation requiring vitrectomy occurred in one eye with sulcus IOL. Mild decentration was seen in 2 eyes with sulcus IOL; one additional subluxed sulcus IOL was exchanged. Sixteen out of 106 eyes (16%) had glaucoma. Eyes that developed glaucoma had early primary surgery (mean, 0.2 years, p < 0.001, significant); there was no difference in glaucoma rates based on implantation site. Conclusion: Early postoperative inflammation is higher in eyes with sulcus implantation, but good visual acuity outcomes are noted after secondary IOL implantation in children. Glaucoma is the main complication that requires close monitoring and is associated with early age at primary surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Epilepsy" is a common neurological brain disorder that may affect the human being at any stage of life. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal is the most important tool for the early detection of epileptic seizures in several applications of epilepsy diagnosis. Recent research has carried out various possibilities of predicting and analyzing epileptic seizures by using conventional methods which employed EEG signal processing for feature extraction and further classified by either one of deep learning/ machine learning-based methods. So, there is a requirement to find a suitable and more reliable method to detect and classify EEG signals as epileptic and non epileptic. This paper proposes a non-conventional method in which EEG time series signals are transformed into multiple recurrence plots. Transfer learning methods are used to extract features from these recurrence plots and relevant features are selected by using principal component analysis thereby reducing the computational complexity. These features are fed into various machine learning classifiers which include Decision Tree, K-Nearest Neighbor, Gaussian, Random Forest, Bagging, and Support Vector Machine. Among these classifiers, SVM gives the best performance with 98.15% sensitivity, 99.61% precision, and 98.21% accuracy. This proves to be a novel approach as it evaluates the performance of different machine learning classifiers in two ways. First, with the extracted features only and second by using feature selection on extracted features. The outcomes confirm that employing feature selection enhances the performance of each classifier, thereby validating the effectiveness of feature extraction using deep learning. The proposed work has the potential to classify the epileptic and non-epileptic EEG signal more efficiently in terms of tradeoffs between sensitivity and accuracy. This is an added advantage as it uses the non-conventional and hybrid approach to classify the raw EEG signal and thus opening the possibility of intervention required to prevent the possibility of upcoming seizure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report uncorrected distance and near visual acuity in pediatric eyes treated with primary monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation. Setting: Boston Children''s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: Records of children older than 5 years who had uneventful monofocal IOL implantation targeted for emmetropia within ±1.00 diopter (D) spherical equivalent were reviewed. Eyes with secondary IOL placement and sulcus-fixated IOLs were excluded. Vision was tested using the Mentor BVAT or M&S system for distance and the standard Jaeger near card for near visual acuity. Keratometry, axial length, type of IOL, and preoperative and postoperative refractions were recorded. The main outcome measure was uncorrected visual acuity at distance and near. Good visual acuity was defined as 20/40 or better. Results: Forty-one eyes of 25 children had uncorrected distance and near visual acuity recorded in the early postoperative period. The mean age was 11.2 years ± 3.6 (SD). Twenty eyes (49%) had good visual acuity at distance and near, 11 had good visual acuity at distance only, 6 had good visual acuity at near only, and 4 had worse than 20/40 at distance and near. Thirty eyes (70%) had with-the-rule astigmatism. All but 2 eyes (95%) had 20/70 or better uncorrected acuity at distance and near. In children with bilateral pseudophakia, 12 (75%) of 16 had 20/40 or better uncorrected acuity at distance and near. Conclusion: Monofocal IOL placement resulted in good uncorrected distance and near visual acuity in almost 50% of pediatric eyes and in 75% of patients when targeted within ±1.00 D of emmetropia. Financial Disclosure: Neither author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An elevated threshold for neuroplasticity limits visual gains with treatment of residual amblyopia in older children and adults. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) can enable visual neuroplasticity and promote recovery from amblyopia in adult mice. Motivated by these promising findings, we sought to determine whether donepezil, a commercially available AChEI, can enable recovery in older children and adults with residual amblyopia. In this open-label pilot efficacy study, 16 participants (mean age 16 years; range 9–37 years) with residual anisometropic and/or strabismic amblyopia were treated with daily oral donepezil for 12 weeks. Donepezil dosage was started at 2.5 or 5.0 mg based on age and increased by 2.5 mg if the amblyopic eye visual acuity did not improve by 1 line from the visit 4 weeks prior for a maximum dosage of 7.5 or 10 mg. Participants < 18 years of age further patched the dominant eye. The primary outcome was visual acuity in the amblyopic eye at 22 weeks, 10 weeks after treatment was discontinued. Mean amblyopic eye visual acuity improved 1.2 lines (range 0.0–3.0), and 4/16 (25%) improved by ≥ 2 lines after 12 weeks of treatment. Gains were maintained 10 weeks after cessation of donepezil and were similar for children and adults. Adverse events were mild and self-limited. Residual amblyopia improves in older children and adults treated with donepezil, supporting the concept that the critical window of visual cortical plasticity can be pharmacologically manipulated to treat amblyopia. Placebo-controlled studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Managing pediatric cataracts is often challenging. It is technically difficult to perform surgery in these small complaint eyes and there is higher prevalence of postoperative complications. The outcomes of surgery depend on technique and technology. The purpose of this study is to review the current literature on technological advances in pediatric cataract surgery. Methods: Review of literature on management of pediatric cataract surgery. Results: The advent of vitrectomy machines and intraocular lenses (IOLs) has revolutionized pediatric cataract surgery. 'Vitrectorhexis' has become a good alternative to manual capsulorhexis. Primary management of posterior capsule and limited anterior vitrectomy has reduced the incidence of visual axis opacification. Primary IOL implantation is becoming a standard of care in the youngest children. Single piece Acrysof® is preferred for in-the-bag implantation and 3-piece Acrysof® for sulcus implantation. Newer IOLs are being evaluated in pediatric eyes. Precise measurement of intraocular lens power and predicting refractive change are major challenges in long term care of children after surgery. Conclusion: New technology and surgical techniques have refined pediatric cataract surgery. It is critical to focus our efforts on precise biometry measurements, IOL power calculation, and designing IOLs that may address refractive changes in the growing pediatric eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate accuracy of intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation formulae (SRK II, SRK/T, Holladay 1, Hoffer Q) in pediatric eyes. Design: Retrospective case series. Participants: One hundred thirty-five eyes of 96 children with congenital, developmental, or acquired cataracts who underwent uncomplicated cataract surgery and IOL implantation by a single surgeon over a 10-year period. Methods: Axial length (AL), keratometry (K), and manufacturer''s A constant were employed in 4 common IOL power calculation formulae to predict the refractive outcome. Retinoscopy was measured at 4 to 8 weeks postoperatively and converted to spherical equivalent. For analysis, eyes were grouped by age at surgery, AL, and mean K. Main Outcome Measures: We determined the prediction error (PE) = predicted refraction − actual refraction and the absolute PE = |predicted refraction − actual refraction|. The formula that gave the best prediction (minimum PE) was determined. Results: The mean age at surgery was 6.4 years. Mean absolute PE was 1.11 for the SRK II, 0.84 for SRK/T, 0.76 for Holladay, and 0.76 for Hoffer Q formulae. There was a trend toward greater PE in eyes of younger children (≤2 years), shorter AL (AL ≤ 22 mm) and steeper corneas (mean K > 43.5 diopters [D]). On comparing absolute PE obtained with 4 formulae in each patient, Hoffer Q gave the minimum PE in 46% of eyes compared with 23% with SRK II, 18.5% with SRK/T, and 12.5% with Holladay 1. The SRK/T, Holladay 1, and Hoffer Q were similar in accurately predicting refractive error within ±0.5 D in about 43% eyes. When clinically significant deviation in PE occurred (>0.5 D), there was usually an undercorrection (72%), except for Hoffer Q, which was almost as likely to overcorrect as undercorrect (44% vs 56%). The PE was lower with office measurements when compared with anesthesia measurements, owing probably to better fixation in older children with higher ALs. Conclusion: The PE was insignificant (PE ≤ 0.5 D) in 43% eyes, and similar for all formulae. However, the Hoffer Q was predictable for the highest number of eyes. When the PE was >0.5 D, most formulae gave an undercorrection, except for the Hoffer Q, which the surgeon may want to consider when targeting postoperative refractions. Financial Disclosure(s): The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any of the materials discussed in this article. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To evaluate surgical outcomes of 1-piece AcrySof SA30AL intraocular lens (IOL) (Alcon Laboratories) implantation in children having surgery for congenital and developmental cataracts. Setting: Iladevi Cataract & IOL Research Centre, Raghudeep Eye Clinic, Ahmedabad, India. Methods: This prospective observational study comprised 134 consecutive eyes of 84 children from 2 to 15 years old who had surgery for congenital and developmental cataract. Two groups were formed depending on the age of the child at surgery. Primary posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (PCCC) was performed in children younger than 6 years (Group 1, 66 eyes), and no PCCC was performed in children older than 6 years (Group 2, 68 eyes). Vitrectomy was not performed. An AcrySof IOL was implanted in the bag in all eyes except 1 in Group 1, which received a sulcus-fixated IOL. The study''s primary outcome measures were the incidence of visual axis obscuration and the need for a secondary procedure to clear the axis. Secondary observations included the incidence of posterior synechias, cell deposits, and haptic compression. A test of proportion was applied to determine whether age was a risk factor for the development of visual axis obscuration. Results: The mean age at surgery was 6.0 years ± 3.2 (SD). The mean follow-up was 2.6 ± 0.6 years. In Group 1, 20 eyes (30.3%) developed visual axis obscuration but only 6 (9.1%) required a secondary procedure. In Group 2, 20 eyes (29.4%) developed visual axis obscuration and 10 (14.7%) required secondary procedures. Posterior synechias were observed in 2 eyes (3.0%) in Group 1 and none in Group 2. Cell deposits were seen in 8 eyes (12.1%) in Group 1 and 8 eyes (11.8%) in Group 2. Haptic compression was noted in 1 eye in Group 2. Mild IOL decentration was observed in the 1 eye with a sulcus-fixated IOL. Conclusion: The 1-piece AcrySof IOL provided satisfactory visual axis clarity, produced an acceptable inflammatory response, and maintained centration in pediatric eyes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of relative anterior microphthalmos (RAM) and evaluate intraoperative performance and surgical outcome in eyes with RAM undergoing cataract surgery. Design: Nested case-control series. Participants: One thousand four hundred consecutive patients undergoing cataract surgery were evaluated to determine the prevalence of RAM. Relative anterior microphthalmos is defined as horizontal corneal diameter (HCD) ≤11 mm, anterior chamber depth (ACD) ≤2.2 mm, and axial length (AL) >20 mm, with no other morphologic malformation. Methods: Patients were examined preoperatively for HCD, ACD, and AL. Horizontal corneal diameter was measured with calipers. Anterior chamber depth and AL were measured with immersion shell with water. Associated ocular pathologic conditions were recorded. Two control groups were identified. Group I (normal eyes; n = 84) had HCD >11 mm, ACD >2.2 mm, and AL >20 mm. Group II (eyes with small corneal diameter; n = 84) had HCD ≤11 mm, ACD >2.2 mm, and AL >20 mm. Main Outcome Measures: Patients with RAM and controls were evaluated for intraoperative performance and postoperative outcome. The 2-tailed Fisher exact test was applied to compare the performance of RAM with each of the control groups. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) was determined. Results: The prevalence of RAM was 6% (84 of 1400 eyes; 95%CI, 0.048–0.074). Relative anterior microphthalmos was associated with the presence of small pupil, 34 (40.48%); corneal guttae, 31 (36.9%); glaucoma, 29 (34.5%); and pseudoexfoliation, 6 (7.14%). Intraoperatively, RAM was associated with overall surgical difficulty because of less working space in 59 eyes (70.24%; OR, 63.7; 95% CI, 18.3–221; P&#60;0.001) compared with control groups I and II; uveal trauma in 12 (14.28%); Descemet’s detachment in 5 (5.95%); and posterior capsule rupture in 2 (2.38%). Postoperatively, RAM was associated with transient corneal edema in 63 eyes (75%; OR, 9.0; 95% CI, 4.4–18.0; P&#60;0.001; OR, 5.4; 95% CI, 2.7–10.5; P&#60;0.001) on the first postoperative day. Conclusions: The prevalence of RAM was 6%. Relative anterior microphthalmos with its associations posed significant intraoperative difficulties. The occurrence of transient corneal edema was frequent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT: Persistent cerebral blood flow occasionally confounds confirmatory tests for brain death and results in the anguish of delayed diagnosis, unnecessary use of expensive resources, and loss of transplant opportunities. We reviewed the literature to examine the reasons, frequency, and meaning of this problem. We found that this phenomenon occurs: (1) before increasing intracranial pressure completely shuts down flow; (2) in infants with pliable skulls; and with (3) decompressing fractures, (4) ventricular shunts, (5) ineffective deep brain flow, (6) reperfusion, (7) brain herniation, (8) jugular reflux, (9) emissary veins, and (10) pressure injection artifacts. Isolated venous sinus visualization is common (occurring in up to 57%) but represents trivial blood flow and confirms brain death. Arterial flow is much less common (2.6% incidence in our series). Normal flow occurs but is rare. Arterial flow does not exclude brain death, but the diagnosis should be confirmed by repeated studies or other means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of brain death has never been established. Methods: Seventy-one consecutive clinically brain dead patients were studied retrospectively. Inclusion criteria were complete cessation of brain function with profound coma of known cause, complete absence of brain stem reflexes, and apnea, all persisting for a least 6 hours. A formal apnea test with a documented Pco2 of > 60 mm Hg was required. All evaluations were done by experienced neurosurgery or neurology resident or staff physicians. The clinical diagnosis was compared with the results of radionuclide angiography and with the clinical course and final outcome. Results: Seventy patients had no arterial blood flow on radionuclide angiography. One blood flow study was considered to have yielded a false-negative result. No patient recovered or survived. Conclusions: The clinical diagnosis of brain death is highly reliable when made by experienced examiners using established criteria. In this study, the accuracy was 100%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews the medical records from 1984 to 1996 of 219 consecutive patients who had radionuclide angiography (RA) because of suspected brain death. Clinical description of RA; Statistics of patients who manifested RA; Conclusions.

Assesses the therapy options for pediatric Graves' disease by reviewing 40 pediatric patients treated for the disease. Background information on the disease; Methodology used in the study; Findings and analysis of results.

Presents a study that focuses on systemic radionuclide therapy with strontium chloride Sr 89, a rediscovered alternative to relieve pain from bony metastases in prostate and breast cancer. Patients and methodology used in the study; Results of the study; Description of strontium; How strontium 89 decay; More information.

Copyright of Southern Medical Journal is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the Copyright holder's express written permission. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Southern Medical Journal is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the Copyright holder's express written permission. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Southern Medical Journal is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the Copyright holder's express written permission. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Southern Medical Journal is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the Copyright holder's express written permission. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Southern Medical Journal is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the Copyright holder's express written permission. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Southern Medical Journal is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the Copyright holder's express written permission. [Extracted from the article]

An abstract of the article "The Reliability Of Radionuclide Angiography As A Confirmatory Test For Brain Death." by W. Mel Flowers and colleagues is presented.

In the present study, porous titanium based composite has been developed by powder metallurgy route using cenosphere and sodium chloride (NaCl) as space holders. The effect of cenosphere particle size and sintering parameters on density, microstructure, wear and corrosion resistance has been studied. The microstructure of the composite consists of uniform distribution of cenosphere in α-Ti matrix with the presence of few TiO2 and SiO2 phases. The density of the composites varies from 1331 to 1812 kg m− 3. The kinetics and mechanism of fretting wear against hardened steel ball (at an oscillation frequency of 10 Hz) as a function of applied load (5 and 10 N) have been studied. There is a significant reduction in coefficient of friction in porous composite as compared to that of pure titanium. There is improvement in corrosion resistance in porous titanium composites as compared to as received titanium in 3.56 wt-% NaCl solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the cyanobacterial inoculation, green manure (GM) application, and chemical nitrogen (N) fertilization on grain/straw yield, nutrient balance, and nitrogenase activity under individual and integrated nutrient management mode in a rice–wheat cropping sequence. Individual and integrated application of cyanobacterial biofertilizer (CB) and GM with chemical fertilizer improved the soil health and production of rice crop. Integration of cyanobacterial and green manure resulted in a savings of 50 kg N ha−1. Functional relationships (R2, –83.5 to 95.7%) between the different sources of nutrients revealed that the maximum positive contribution of cyanobacteria was on final available N (45.2%) and available phosphorus (P, 18.5%). Green manure had the greatest contribution to total N, total P, zinc, iron, and manganese (Mn). However, cyanobacteria had a negative relationship with Mn and sodium (Na, –30.19%). A negative relationship with Na indicates the possibility of using cyanobacteria as an ameliorating agent for salt-affected soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electroviscous flow at low Reynolds number through a two-dimensional slit contraction with electric double-layer overlap is investigated numerically for cases where the permittivity of the wall material is significant in comparison with the permittivity of the liquid. The liquid-solid interface is assumed to have uniform surface-charge density. It is demonstrated that a finite wall permittivity has a marked effect on the distribution of ions in and around the contraction, with a significant build-up of counter-ions observed at the back-step. The development length of the flow increases substantially as the wall permittivity becomes significant, meaning that the electric double-layers require a longer distance to develop within the contraction. Consequently, there is a corresponding decrease in the hydrodynamic and electro-potential resistance caused by the contraction. The effect of wall-region width on the flow characteristics is also quantified, demonstrating that the development length increases with increasing wall-region width for widths up to 5 channel widths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare provider wellness have been reported to correlate with patient care outcomes. It is not understood whether synergistic effects may exist between them. Objective: We aim to investigate three provider wellness markers and determine their associations with provider self-reported medical errors and intent-to-leave outcomes among Emergency Department (ED) providers. Design: This is a multi-center retrospective study. Method: Three wellness domains include professional fulfillment (PF), burnout (BO), and personal resilience (PR). Two outcomes measured as provider self-reported medical errors and provider intent-to-leave. Correlations between wellness markers and outcomes were analyzed. When adjusted for other confounders (provider demographics, provider experience, and operational environment), a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to further determine the interactions among these three domains on provider wellness affecting patient and provider related outcomes. Results: Total 242 surveys were collected from providers at 16 different EDs. The median score of PF were 2.83 among physicians and 2.67 among APPs, BO were 1.00 (physicians) and 0.95 (APPs), and PR were 0.88 (physicians) and 0.81 (APPs). The median scores of self-reported medical errors were 1.50 (physicians) and 0.95 (APPs), and intent-to-leave were 1.00 (physicians and APPs). High correlations occurred among PF, BO, and PR. When analyzed together, high PF, low BO, and high PR functioned as a protective effect on provider intent-to-leave (adjusted odds ratios = 0.09, 95% CI 0.03–0.30). Conclusion: High correlations occurred among three provider wellness markers with no significant difference between physicians and APPs. Providers with high PR, low BO, and high PR tended to be more stable in their jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the health impact of spraying organophosphorus insecticides (OPs), 34 male sprayers in the mango belt of Malihabad, a small town located 27 km from Lucknow in North India was selected. Plasma butyryl cholinesterase (PBChE) and complete blood count were assessed among sprayers after spraying pesticides and the findings obtained were compared with those determined in a reference group (n = 18). The most common symptoms observed were burning sensation in the eyes (8.82%), itching/skin irritation (23.52%) and chest symptoms (32.35%) in the exposed workers. Plasma butyrylcholinesterase (PBChE) was significantly decreased in workers. The results indicated significant decrease in the mean value of hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelets count; however, significantly higher count of leukocytes was also observed in the exposed group (sprayers) compared to that observed in the control group (P < 0.05). Monitoring of PBChE in pesticide sprayers could be useful to predict and prevent health hazards of OPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted to assess the magnitude of oxidative stress and lung function abnormalities in 34 male pesticide sprayers on exposure to pesticides in mango plantations. Biochemical studies on blood antioxidant enzymes revealed an unchanged glutathione level and increased level of malondialdehyde (P < 0.001), which indicates that pesticide sprayers may have suffered from oxidative stress. Decreased acetyl-cholinesterase levels (P < 0.001) in sprayers compared to the controls suggest inhibition of cholinesterase activity. The present study shows that pesticide toxicity might lead to oxidative stress and airway narrowing resulting in decreased peak expiratory flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]