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This paper identifies the major food safety concerns and separates fact from fiction in weighing any scientific evidence bearing on these concerns. Relevent information on federal laws and regulations governing food safety certification are interwoven.

One of the most serious types of poisoning, occurring with increasing frequency in children as well as in adults in the United States, arises from the wide usage and increased accessibility of antidepressant drugs, specifically the tricyclic compounds. These include imipramine (Tofranil), desipramine (Norpramin, Pertofrane), amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Aventyl), protriptyline (Vivactyl), trimipramine (Surmontil), and opipramol. Doxepin hydrochloride, a dibenzoxepin compound, is structured similarly to amitriptyline except for the replacement of one carbon atom by an oxygen atom in the tncyclic ring. There have been a number of serious cardiac arrhythmias, conduction disturbances, and heart blocks associated with intoxications from tricyclic antidepressant tranquilizers. The most commonly seen disturbances of cardiac function from overdoses of these drugs are supraventricular tachycardia, widening of the QRS complexes, depression of the S-T segments, and abnormal T waves. Disturbances of rhythm and conduction which have been reported include atrial and ventricular tachycardias, flutters, and fibrillations, wandering pacemaker, multifocal extrasystoles (ectopic beats), complete or partial atrioventricular and intraventricular blocks, and cardiac arrest. In addition to the cardiac disturbances, intoxication with tricyclic antidepressants also produces the peripheral signs of atropinism and symptoms of vomiting, thirst, drowsiness or dizziness, and signs of mydriasis, nystagmus, agitation or stupor, bowel and bladder paralysis, muscle rigidity, tremors, hyperreflexia, athetoid or clonic movements, convulsions, hypertension or hypotension, depressed respiration, cyanosis, hyperthermia or hypothermia, and coma. The most serious phase appears to be the first 12 hours, but during recovery a deep lethargy may alternate with tremors, agitation, delirium, hallucinations, mental confusion, and persistent insomnia.

RIASSUNTO Gli AA. hanno studiato la vegetazione di un promontorio roccioso (Capo S. Alessio) della catena dei Peloritani, presso Taormina, e ne hanno censito la flora. Sono state descritte localita nuove per alcune specie rupestri, piu rare in Sicilia, che ne allargano gli areali fino ad oggi conosciuti. Dalle indagini fatte gli AA. giungono alla conclusione che il settore costiero della Sicilia orientale non e da attribuirsi alla cintura vegetazionale a Quercus Ilex, come il FREI propone, ma ad una formazione ad Olea e Ceratonia, estremamente degradata, nella quale Euphorbia dendroides ha preso il sopravvento, acquistandovi attualmente il valore di specie costruttrice di una vegetazione con caratteristiche fisionomiche a se. L'assenza completa di resti di vegetazione di leccio in tutta la zona e la esplorazione di alcune leccete montane in Sicilia inducono gli A A. a prospettare una revisione del piano di vegetazione di questa entita nell'Isola, descritto come costiero dal FREI, e che sarebbe invece pret...

Nursing infants are undoubtedly absorbing many more drugs and chemicals through mother's milk than is good for them. How much, and with what long-term effect, we don't know. The stage may be set for another thalidomide tragedy. Here are some practical suggestions for this neglected field of human nutrition.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) studies show that the exchange between fluorochromate(VI) and fluoride in dimethylsulfoxide is slow, in agreement with previous work on oxygen exchange between water and chromates(VI). No substitution was detected in the system CrO3F−/Cl− in acetonitrile. Mixtures of chromyl fluoride and chromyl chloride show rapid fluorine exchange, both as the pure compounds, and in solution in trichlorofluoromethane. Possible mechanistic implications of these results are discussed.

An unusual case of hypervitaminosis A with severe craniotabes in a 6½ month old infant is presented. This is the youngest infant reported with this condition and the first to present craniotabes. Symptoms of hypervitaminosis A are compared with those of hypervitaminosis D and with those of infantile cortical hyperostosis. In the case presented prompt and complete disappearance of craniotabes and other symptoms followed withdrawal of administration of vitamin A.

Chairman Wheatley: Our theme is a discussion of prevention. We want to discuss the question: How can we help prevent accidents in children? The meeting will be divided into 2 parts. Dr. Arena and I will outline the accident problem for the first part. For the second part, we will discuss the preventive aspects and what pediatricians can do about preventing accidents. We want you to do most of the talking in this part. I would like to give you a brief picture of the dimensions of the accident problem. 1. It is the leading cause of deaths ages 1-14; kills about 14,000 at these ages annually—more than the next 6 combined (pneumonia, congenital anomalies, cancer, tuberculosis, leukemia, heart disease). 2. Every year between ages 1-5 kills twice as many children as rubeola, scarlet fever, pertussis, diphtheria, dysentery, tuberculosis and poliomyelitis combined. 3. For every fatal accident, it is estimated there are 90-150 severe injuries. No comprehensive studies are available to show the magnitude in terms of injury, cost of treatment, permanent disability in the United States child population. English hospital admission study showed 22% of the accidents requiring hospital treatment happened to children under the age of 5 years, though this age group constituted only 8% of the population. 4. About a third of all fatal accidents to children (1-14) occur in the home; for those under 5 years of age, nearly half the fatal accidents are home accidents. The home is a much more important site than this for injury to children, if we include nonfatal accidents because deaths caused by motor vehicles influences the fatal accident picture.

We examined 8 subjects affected by hemifacial spasm. The CT exam showed a megadolichobasilaris vessel in five of them. Four of these five presented BAEP anomalies. Three of these four showed a decreased amplitude of the V wave and the other one a pathological increment of the I-V interval.

This is a report of an unusual acetaminophen poisoning in a 3-year-old girl who, three days after the ingestion of an estimated thirty-five 325-mg tablets of acetaminophen, had the highest levels of hepatic enzymes ever recorded at Duke Hospital. Although she was only moderately ill with an enlarged liver, she was discharged from the hospital on the seventh day in good condition. The liver enzyme levels returned to normal when last assessed, 50 days after ingestion. The importance of determining acetaminophen plasma concentration at different times to evaluate more precisely the plasma half-life is discussed, along with the current suggested therapy now being recommended for acetaminophen poisoning.

Some of the disturbances encountered in patients with chronic cerebral vasculopathies may be attributable to associated or concomitant pathologies such as arterial hypertension. In many of the papers published on citicoline it is less than clear whether the improvement in the symptoms is the result of the treatment of the hypertension or the substance used. In conclusion, the importance of correct treatment of hypertension in order to cure certain standard chronic cerebral vasculopathies is emphasised and the value of citicoline in improving kinesthesis, mnemonic and perceptive-motor efficiency is confirmed.