Acute pesticide poisoning: a proposed classification tool

BackgroundCases of acute pesticide poisoning (APP) account for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in developing countries. 1,2 There are no reliable estimates as to how many people per year suffer from pesticide-related health effects.This is due to several reasons including a lack of standardized case definition.The purpose of this document is to create a standard case definition to facilitate the identification and diagnosis of APP, especially at the field level, in rural clinics and primary health-care systems.The case definition is inclusive of all circumstances of poisoning including suicide, homicide, non-intentional (accidental exposure) and occupational.Studies in developed countries have demonstrated the annual incidence rates of APP in agricultural workers to be as much as 18.2 per 100 000 full time workers 3 and 7.4 per million among schoolchildren. 4 Yet, cases of APP may