Israel Medical Association Journal

Background: Extensive cleaning of homes in Israel before Passover may result in increased exposure of children to cleaning substances.

Objectives: To evaluate the potential danger of Passover cleaning to children, and to study the risk factors in order to identify areas for prevention.

Methods: All cases of poison exposure in Jewish and Arab children under the age of 15 years reported to the Israel Poison Information Center during 1990–95 (n= 5,583) were analyzed for the 6 weeks before and 6 weeks after Passover. Poison exposures in Jewish children <15 years old were studied in seven pediatric emergency rooms for the 2 weeks before and 6 weeks after Passover (n=123).

Results: The IPIC data showed a highly significant 38% increase in the average weekly poison exposure rate for the 2 weeks before Passover compared with the remaining 10 weeks.  Data recorded by the pediatric emergency rooms showed a twofold increase in cleaning substance poisoning during the 2 weeks before Passover compared with the following 6 weeks. The rise in exposures to cleaning substances was observed among children from secular, religious and ultra-orthodox families. In these exposures, the substance was found in open containers in 70% of cases. 

Conclusions: The extensive cleaning of homes among Jewish families in preparation for Passover poses the danger to young children of cleaning substance poisoning. Increasing public awareness, closer observation of children, and keeping these substances in closed containers should increase children’s safety during this annual cleaning.    

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IPIC = Israel Poison Information Center

Background: Previous studies have published controversial results regarding a connection between Helicobacter pylori infection and colorectal cancer. One possible mechanism is increased gastrin secretion in subjects infected with H. pylori, insofar as gastrin is known to be a trophic factor for the colonic mucosa.

Objectives: To investigate a possible role of gastrin secretion in H. pylori infection associated with colorectal cancer, and determine whether H. pylori infection is a factor in this disease.

Methods: The serum gastrin levels and the presence of H. pylori IgG antibodies were measured in 51 colorectal cancer patients and 51 control subjects. The cancer patients were also tested for carcinoembryonic antigen and CA 19-9.

Results: H. pylori IgG antibodies were found in the serum of 41 (80.4%) of the cancer patients compared to 32 (62.7%) of the control subjects (P=0.05). A significant correlation was found between CA 19-9 (γ=0.3432, n=49, P=0.01) and seropositive H. pylori IgG antibodies in the serum of the cancer patients (odds ratio 2.43, and 95% confidence limit 0.99-5.95), but none between CEA and H. pylori IgG antibodies nor between the serum gastrin level and the presence of colorectal cancer.

Conclusions: The results of this study indicate a significant association between seropositive H. pylori IgG antibodies and elevated CA 19-9 in colorectal cancer patients, but no correlation between the serum gastrin level and the presence of this cancer. H. pylori seropositivity is more prevalent in patients with colorectal cancer.