Executive summary workshop: toward the elimination of the use of solid fuels and kerosene in urban homes in the americas

Household air pollution is one of the principal causes of disease and premature death in low and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is an avoidable health risk. In the Americas, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that approximately 82,000 deaths in these countries were attributale to cooking, heating, and lighting with polluting fuels and technologies in 2016. Accelerating the transition to clean energy for all is an urgent and necessary public health intervention in the region of the Americas, to reduce the health risks that primarily affect socially and economically vulnerable populations, to achieve a continent healthier, more equitable and with sustainable development, contributing to the worldwide efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. To achieve this result, the health sector should be involved in the design of policy interventions to reduce exposure to indoor air pollution and its effects on health, as well associal inequities. In line with the WHO Indoor Air Quality Guidelines launched in November 2014, the PAHO Strategic Plan 2014-2019 has set itself the objective of helping Member States to reduce the percentage of population by 5% that depends on solid fuels for cooking in countries with a percentage of users equal to or greater than 10% of the population (priority countries). To measure progress, one indicator is the number of countries that are implementing large-scale programs to reduce solid fuel use (SFU) in the home, and a outcome indicator measures progress in the use of energy and clean technology for cooking at home. Evaluating the progress of the countries in the indicator of the Strategic Plan, some of its member states have successfully reduced solid fuel use (SFU) in the households by 5% and have implemented large-scale programs to transition to clean fuels. Nevertheless, in other countries in the region, progress has been almost non-existent. Following the first workshop carried out in Tegucigalpa (Honduras) in 2015, where new indoor air pollution guidelines were launched by the WHO, the workshop "Toward the elimination of solid fuels and kerosene in urban homes in the Americas" was organized and carried out in Mexico City (Mexico) from September 11 to 13, 2018.

Querosene: uma ameaça à saúde do trabalhador / Kerosene: a threat to the health of workers

O querosene é um derivado da destilação do petróleo amplamente utilizado como agente de limpeza em diversas ocupações e atividades de lazer. É, também, empregado como combustível de avião, de lamparina, de forno de cozinha e até como componente de formulações inseticidas. A substância está comprovadamente relacionada à enfermidades dermatológicas (incluindo infecções, ressecamento, queimadura e neoplasia), hematológicas (anemia aplástica, leucocitose , metahemoglobinemia) e respiratórias (é capaz de induzir asma e provocar crises agudas da doença além de desastrosa pneumonite química nos casos de ingesta acidental e/ou aspiração). São apresentadas considerações gerais sobre a fisiopatologia da intoxicação aguda e seu tratamento, destacando medidas relevantes para a prevenção dos danos causados por sua exposição ocupacional, tanto por parte do trabalhador quanto do empregador. É proposta uma rotina para o exame médico admissional, periódico e demissional dos trabalhadores que irão manipular o produto. O trabalho faz uma revisão da legislação vigente, que define o querosene como agente insalubre de grau médio. Por último, o autor apresenta uma reflexão sobre a postura do empregador e trabalhador sobre a questão da insalubridade.

Intoxicación en pediatría / Pediatric intoxication

Se hizo una revisión retrospectiva de 150 historias clínicas de niños con diagnóstico de intoxicaciones, que ameritaron hospitalización en el Servicio de pediatría del Hospital universitario "Antonio Patricio de Alcalá" en el período comprendido desde 1981 a 1991, considerando la edad, sexo, tipos de tóxicos más frecuetes, clínica, tratamiento y complicaciones. De los 150 pacientes, 90 fueron de sexo masculino (60 por ciento) y 60 fueron de sexo femenino (40 por ciento), la edad más frecuente fue de 1 a 4 años. Los tóxicos más frecuentes fueron: kerosene, caústicos, epamin, ciguatera y otros alimentos