Citation

Beyssac L. Toxicol. Anal. Clin. 2014; 26(1): 46-50.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Société Française de Toxicologie Analytique, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.toxac.2014.02.009

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Chloralose has a sedative and stimulating effect on the central nervous system. It is currently used as rat poison. Chloralose poisoning is responsible for seizures and sometimes death. The aim of our study was to evaluate the epidemiology of those poisonings in the emergency department of the university hospital of Pointe-à-Pitre to optimize the management of chloralose poisoning. Procedure This is a retrospective study between 01/01/2009 and 31/12/2012. The files were included after computer search from the emergency department software.

RESULTS Seventeen cases were included. No deaths were recorded. Seventeen percent of poisonings involved minors (3/17). The place of intoxication was mostly home (16/17). In three quarters of cases poisoning was voluntary (13/17). No pediatric poisoning was deliberate. The dominant symptoms were seizures and nicotinic signs. The hospitalization rate was 65% (11/17), and among its 27% (3/11) was in intensive care.

CONCLUSION Chloralose poisoning is rare and not deadly. But increasing awareness among physicians to recognize signs of chloralose intoxication would allow earlier and a more appropriate care for these patients, including a wider and earlier use of benzodiazepines, thus preventing seizures and the use of intubation. The establishment of a register of intoxications would allow a better monitoring of the epidemiology of these intoxications. © 2014 Société Française de Toxicologie Analytique.

Language: fr

Keywords

human; pediatrics; suicide; Poisoning; hospitalization; intoxication; awareness; article; retrospective study; emergency ward; intensive care; seizure; home; intubation; chloralose; Chloralose; Guadeloupe