§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many patients who attended the Medical Toxicology Unit (formerly the National Poisons Unit) were diagnosed by their clinicians as suffering from:
for each year since 1990. [HL69]
- (a) acute organophosphate poisoning; or
- (b) chronic organophosphate poisoning
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:The Medical Toxicology Outpatient Clinic does not maintain a separate database which would allow easy identification of specific sub-groups of patients and their diagnosis. This would be done through research projects which require approval according to trust procedures, including ethical approval. Appropriate funding would be required for such research projects.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the pilot study Surveillance of sheep dip exposures 23 September to 3 November 1991—final report October 1992 received Ethics Committee approval; by whom the study was funded; and what subsequent research on organophosphate poisoning, including a questionnaire survey, has been conducted by Medical Toxicology Unit (formerly the National Poisons Unit) staff or researchers employed by them. [HL70]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:Ethics approval was not required for the pilot study Surveillance of sheep dip exposures 23 September to 3 November 1991. The study was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
Subsequent to this study, the following research on organophosphate poisoning has been conducted by the Medical Toxicology Unit (MTU) staff:
A retrospective survey of organophosphorus insecticide poisoning in South Asia (in 1999–2000) in collaboration with World Health Organisation Regional Office for South East Asia (SEARO) and the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) Geneva. A member of the staff of the Medical Toxicology Unit was sent to Nepal, Sri Lanka and India for this study, which was a survey of teaching, district and peripheral hospitals for two months. The report is available at SEARO/IPCS/Guys Hospital.
Ongoing development of a hypothesis on the toxicity of organophosphorus intoxication and 57WA the publication of a book Organophosphates and Health, which is a multinational author production, has been completed with one of the editors and several contributors being from the MTU. The book is intended to be on the shelves by March 2001.
§ The Countess of Marasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any research conducted by the Medical Toxicology Unit (formerly the National Poisons Unit) into the effects of exposure to organophosphates subsequent to Surveillance of sheep dip exposures 23 September to 3 November 1991—Final Report October 1992 Murray et al, had Ethics Committee approval; if so, when, by whom the work was funded; whether the results of any such work have been published; if so, in which publications; and, if not, whether they will make the results available. [HL90]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:Subsequent to the study Surveillance of sheep dip exposures 23 September to 3 November 1991, the following research on organophosphate poisoning has been conducted by the Medical Toxicology Unit staff (MTU) staff:
A retrospective survey of organophosphorus insecticide poisoning in South Asia (in 1999–2000) in collaboration with World Health Organisation Regional Office for South East Asia (SEARO) and the International programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) Geneva. A member of the staff of the Medical Toxicology Unit was sent to Nepal, Sri Lanka and India for this study, which was a survey of teaching, district and peripheral hospitals for two months. The report is available at SEARO/IPCS/Guys Hospital.
Ongoing development of a hypothesis on the toxicity of organophosphorus intoxication and the publication of a book Organophosphates and Health, which is a multinational author production, has been completed with one of the editors and several contributors being from the MTU. The book is intended to be on the shelves by March 2001.
None of these activities required Ethics Committee approval.