Human & experimental toxicology
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Letter Case Reports
Persistent hiccup as a side-effect of dexamethasone treatment.
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Letter Case Reports
Fatal intoxication due to the combined use of heroin and pyrithyldione.
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Mercury poisoning occurred after the acute, prolonged exposure of 53 construction workers to elemental mercury. Of those exposed, 26 were evaluated by clinical examination and tests of neuropsychological function. Patients received treatment with chelation therapy in the first weeks after exposure. ⋯ Chelation therapy with both drugs resulted in the mobilization of a small fraction of the total estimated body mercury. However, DMSA was able to increase the excretion of mercury to a greater extent than NAP. These observations demonstrate that acute exposure to elemental mercury and its vapour induces acute, inorganic mercury toxicity and causes long-term, probably irreversible, neurological sequelae.
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1. The study objective was to determine the hyperphosphataemic and hypocalcaemic effect of hypertonic phosphate enema. The study was conducted in a department of Internal Medicine at a University Medical Center. 2. ⋯ Serum calcium decreased from 2.32 +/- 0.12 mmol l-1 to 2.12 +/- 0.1 mmol l-1 (P less than 0.001) 12 h after FE was administered. 5. We conclude that FE carries a potential risk for acutely ill elderly patients. To avoid untoward effects due to hyperphosphataemia and hypocalcaemia, the phosphate load must be adjusted to the patient's renal function, i.e. enema volume is to be lowered when phosphate concentration is high, so that if renal function is compromised the amount of phosphate absorbed does not exceed renal excretion capacity.
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1. Three indexes for evaluating the severity of paraquat poisoning based on plasma-paraquat concentration are presently in use; the curves of Proudfood et al. and Scherrmann et al. and the SIPP. Their effectiveness in determining the prognosis of patients with paraquat poisoning was evaluated. 2. ⋯ No significant difference, however, was noted between Scherrmann's curve and the SIPP in determining the prognosis of patients admitted after more than 24 h. 4. In conclusion, Proudfoot's curve proved a better index for predicting the outcome of patients who were admitted within 24 h. However, for the prognosis of patients admitted more than 24 h after the ingestion of paraquat, further study is required.