Faculty Bibliography

Carbon monoxide (CO) is the leading cause of poisoning death in the United States. Research has shown that proper use of a CO detector in the home can reduce morbidity and mortality related to unintentional CO exposure. The authors evaluated three CO education workshops that included distribution of free CO detectors for home use, and their intervention reached 133 participants. Pretest surveys and follow-up calls evaluated change in knowledge and behavior factors. Results showed that statistically significant increases were found on three out of five knowledge-based items and 91% of respondents (N = 80) reported installing CO detectors in their home. Follow-up calls provided an opportunity to clarify information and provide tailored information to participants

Widespread use of cocaine and its attendant toxicity has produced a wealth of benchwork studies and small animal investigations that evaluated the effects of cocaine on the cardiovascular system. Despite this wealth of knowledge, very little is known about the frequency or types of arrhythmias in patients with significant cocaine toxicity. The likely aetiologies; catecholamine excess, sodium channel blockade, potassium channel blockade, calcium channel effects, or ischaemia may act alone or in concert to produce a vast array of clinical findings that are modulated by hyperthermia, acidosis, hypoxia and electrolyte abnormalities. The initial paper in the series by Wood & Dargan providing the epidemiological framework of cocaine use and abuse is followed by a detailed review of the electrophysiological effects of cocaine by O'Leary & Hancox. This review is designed to complement the previous papers and focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cocaine-associated arrhythmias