Citation

Milan R, Vesna SM, Goran M, Tomislav N, Mirjana R. Medicinski casopis 2012; 46(4): 237-240.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Srpsko lekarsko društvo - Okružna podružnica Kragujevac)

DOI

10.5937/mckg46-1763

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Poisoning by inorganic acids are relatively common. Usually they are accidental, but suicide attempts by inorganic acids have also been registered. Strong acids cause coagulation necrosis and may lead to perforation of organs in the proximal part of the digestive tract. Acid poisonings also result in the appearance of metabolic acidosis, haemolysis end renal failure. The most common systemic effect of acid poisoning is circulatory collapse, while myocardial infarction associated with this type of poisoning is very rarely described. We presented a 61 years old female patient hospitalized an hour after intentional ingestion of 20 ml of sulfuric acid. At the moment of hospitalisation the patient was in an unconscious state (Glasgow coma score 6), with signs of respiratory insufficiency, circulatory collapse and acidosis (pH 6.87, base excess - 29.6 mmol/l). There were no marks of myocardial ischemia/lesion in the initial ECG examination, but 90 minutes after the reception the sings of inferolateral myocardial infarction of left ventricule with ST elevation to 0.8 mV were noticed. In spite of intensive treatment, eight hours after reception the lethal outcome was registered. Although the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction in poisoning with inorganic acids is rare, sometimes ingestion of sulfuric acid can lead to severe myocardial infarction and result in a lethal outcome. Often repeated electrocardiographic examinations and ECG monitoring may contribute to timely detection of myocardial infarction and undertaking of appropriate therapeutic measures.

Language: sr