Corrosive oesophageal injuries: a preventable menace

Corrosive oesophageal injuries: a preventable menace

INTRODUCTION Potentially catastrophic presentations and lifelong complications resulting from corrosive ingestions in humans is one of the most challenging situations encountered in clinical medical practice. This study reviewed pattern, mechanisms and associated socio-medical challenges with ingestion of corrosive agents as seen in a tertiary health institution in South-western Nigeria. METH...

Needle Stick Injuries and Health Workers: A Preventable Menace

Sir, Accidental needle stick and sharp object injuries carry major risk factors for blood-borne infections amongst health workers.[1,2] The blood-borne infections that are mostly contracted through occupational hazards are Hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).[3] The risk of transmission of these diseases following percutaneous exposure among h...

Corrosive oesophageal stricture in Malaysian adults.

In this series, six patients had periodic oesophageal dilatation with relief of symptoms. Two patients had feeding gastrostomies. Definitive surgical procedures were performed in 32 patients of which nine had oesophageal bypass, and 23 oesophageal resection with a visceral replacement. The colon was used in eight oesophageal bypass procedures and the jejunum in two. One patient who had a coloni...

Corrosive oesophageal injury following vinegar ingestion.

A 39-year-old woman drank one tablespoon of white vinegar in order to 'soften' crab shell stuck in her throat. Endoscopy revealed inflammation of the oropharynx and second-degree caustic injury of the oesophagus extending to the cardia. She had an uneventful recovery. This case report confirmed that vinegar could cause ulcerative injury to the oropharynx and oesophagus. The folklore application...

Reversing motor vehicle injuries: a preventable tragedy.