Abstract

AVILA VM, Jeannette et al. Intoxicación aguda por inhalación de Acrilato de Etilo, Lima 2002. Rev. perú. med. exp. salud publica [online]. 2005, vol.22, n.4, pp.267-273. ISSN 1726-4634.

Objectives: To describe clinical and epidemiological features of cases of acute intoxication caused by ethyl acrylate due to clandestine management of a container with this substance in an urban area in Comas District, Lima, Peru, in November 2002. Materials and methods: Analytical cross sectional study performed in residents and school population near the affected area. A survey was performed in every exposed person. Cases were defined as those people presenting with headache, eye irritation, nausea, abdominal pain, and intense pruritus. Accidents were characterized according to time of occurrence, space, and affected person(s). Exposure factors favoring the presence of affected persons were explored in a nearby school. Data was input in Epi Info v 6.0, and it was analyzed using STATA v 8.0 software. Results: 456 residents and 326 school students were interviewed. General attack rate was 21,9%, 46,6% at the nearby school, and 4,2% in surrounding households. Predominating symptoms were headache, 56%, eye irritation, 47%, abdominal pain, 42%. 23% of all affected persons required hospitalization. Staying in the upper floors in the nearby school was a risk factor for being affected, with an odds ratio (OR) reported as 4,54 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2,66-7,84), and particularly in the «A» wing the OR was 3,82 (95% IC: 2,33 - 6,25). Conclusions: Predominant symptoms for acute intoxication caused by ethyl acrylate exposure were headache, eye irritation, and abdominal pain. Being near to the exposure area and dispersion of toxic fumes influenced the attack rate, mostly affecting the nearby school and those students in the upper floors and the «A» wing. Peruvian law should be stricter with respect to management of dangerous waste.

Keywords : Chemical accidents; Hazardous substances; Inhalation exposure; Peru.

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