[Poisoning by organophosphate insecticides. Epidemiology and prevention]

In an agrarian environment, exposure to anticholinesterasic insecticides is a potential health problem. Acute or chronic intoxication may cause serious health problems due to its frequency or its severity. Extremadura is, as are other Spanish autonomous regions, mainly a rural environment which means that this problems carries special relevance there. In this article, the authors evaluate the number of cases of intoxication, the validity of the measures taken, and they describe the pedagogical programs which exist dealing with this problem. They review the physiopathological causes of this intoxication, its symptoms and its treatment. The authors reveal the results obtained from a questionnaire given to a group of Extremaduran farmers. Furthermore, the authors provide information to health professionals responsible for the treatment and prevention of this intoxication; the authors consider health education, especially in an agrarian environment, to be one of the most important action plans in order to prevent this intoxication and to reduce its mortality and chronic manifestations due to exposure to these agents.