[Role of cosmetics in environmental carcinogenesis]. / Place des cosmétiques dans la carcinogenèse environnementale.

UNLABELLED: Cosmetics, which have been used for millenaries, have undergone a dramatic development since the last war. Conjointly with this development, cosmetology has entered a new, scientific, phase. A few facts will enable us to define the role of carcinogens in environmental carcinogenesis: first, by trying to determine what protection is given to the consumer against the carcinogenic risk; then, by delineating the protection provided by sunscreen agents against skin carcinomas induced by sun. Protection provided to consumers: physicochemical characteristics; Ames test for screening; animal experimentation; epidemiological studies; follow-up of products. Prevention of UV-dependent skin cancer; induction of skin tumors by sun; prevention. Individual factors which modulate these risks: Two examples: permeability of the psoriatic skin; morphotypes and sun. CONCLUSION: Given the present state of our knowledge, it seems inconceivable to achieve stricter scientific standards before marketing a product. One step is, and always will be, lacking for the evaluation of the noxiousness of a substance, i.e. its large scale, longterm evaluation in man, with allowances for biologic inequalities. This underscores the value of producer's daily vigilance, a vigilance which in fact concerns both the producer and the consumer.

[Lung injury after use of respiratory revival materials sterilized with ethylene oxide]. / Accident pulmonaire lors de l'utilisation de matériels de réanimation respiratoire stérilisés a l'oxyde d'éthylène.

One of the most used method of medical appliances sterilization uses ethylene oxide. At high concentration, this very reactive product, causes caustic burns of skin and mucous membranes. In one case of acute pulmonary oedema, levels of ethylene oxide in the endotracheal catheter were discovered. This led us to review the toxicological data on this substance. It should be emphasized that the sterilization and the desorption according to simple and precise rules should prevent such acute accidents.

[Acute poisoning by viloxazine chlorhydrate taken by itself]. / Intoxications aiguës par le chlorhydrate de viloxazine pris isolément.

One of the missions of the Poison Control Centres is to collect an important number of cases concerning a substance in order to determine its toxicological pattern for man. Such data were collected for Viloxazine chlorhydrate, an antidepressant belonging to a new chemical, ingested without association with other drugs, at doses varying from 100 mg to 4 g. The toxicological action of this drug was moderate, as no death occurred in the cases under study. The depression of the central nervous system was characterised only by a transitory loss of consciousness with recovery within a few hours. Two cases of convulsive seizure and one of extrapyramidal syndrome were the only complications in these intoxications. This confirms the difference between viloxazine and other antidepressants (tricyclics or IMAO inhibitors) whose toxic action on C.N.S. is more pronounced and sometimes complicated by cardiovascular disorders.

[Subcutaneous injection of metallic mercury. Report of 4 cases]. / Injection sous-cutanée de mercure métallique. A propos de 4 observations.

4 cases of subcutaneous injection of metallic mercury are reported and compared with those recorded by others. Subcutaneous injection always causes local inflammatory reaction and granuloma formation. Systematic mercury absorption is the rule as it is proved by high mercury levels in blood and urine. Nevertheless this absorption is usually too small to be responsible for toxic manifestations. Surgical excision of all accessible contaminated subcutaneous areas should be performed. When residual mercury is roentgenographically detectable regular monitoring of CNS, renal function and urinary and/or blood mercury levels are necessary.

[Acute paracetamol poisoning. A retrospective study of data from the Paris Antipoison Center. 1974-1981 (author's transl)]. / Intoxications aiguës par le paracétamol soluble. Etude rétrospective des données du Centre Anti-Poisons de Paris. 1974-1981.

Seventy-five cases of acute poisoning with effervescent tablets of paracetamol have been recorded. No patients developed hepatitis. Ingested doses were low, and resulted only in minor manifestations. As each package contains only 6.6 g of paracetamol and effervescent tablets cannot be ingested in large quantities, the risk of serious overdosage is low.