ABSTRACT
Suicidal tendencies are one of the major social problems worldwide. It is equally seen in Indian population. Organo-phosphorus compounds are usually preferred because of their easy availability. Paraquat is one of the lesser known herbicide agent, which is not an OP compound. It is highly toxic and causes damage to the lungs, liver and kidneys. Occurrence of paraquat poisoning is rare, but has very high mortality rate. Here we report one such case which was earlier misdiagnosed as organo-phosphorus poisoning, but diagnosed later by qualitative urine sodium dithionite test. It is a simple test for early diagnosis of paraquat poisoning. It is recommended to performing this test in all suspected cases of oral poisoning.
ABSTRACT
Background: The present study was aimed to study alterations in levels of sodium and potassium in age-related cataract patients. Methods: 50 senile cataract patients in age group of 50 to 80 years and 50 control group were included for the study. Serum sodium and potassium levels were determined by flame photometry. Results: Significant (<0.0001) increased levels of plasma Na+ in cataract patients (145.06 ± 5.84mEq/lit) were found as compared with controls (141.18 ± 2.67mEq/lit). While Plasma K+ the conc. in cataract patients (4.18 ± 0.34mEq/lit) was not significantly (P = 0.002) increased when compared with controls (4.13 ± 0.32mEq/lit). Conclusion: Na, K-ATPase is responsible for maintaining the correct concentrations of sodium and potassium in lens cells. In ageing, lens fibers undergoes oxidation, and glycation may decrease Na, K-ATPase activity. The asymmetrical distribution of Na, K-ATPase activity in the epithelium and fibers may contribute to ionic currents that flow in and around the lens. So, abnormal elevation of lens sodium can be used as a marker in the opacification of the lens cortex in age-related human cataract.