Citation

Wu ML, Yang CC, Ger J, Deng JF. Vet. Hum. Toxico. 1998; 40(1): 31-34.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, American College of Veterinary Toxicologists)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9467207

Abstract

Death from ferric chloride poisoning has never been reported in Taiwan. We report a fatality from the suicidal ingestion of ferric chloride solution used as an etching agent for printed circuitry. A 25-y-old woman presented with vomiting after ingestion of 200 ml ferric chloride solution (pH 1.0). She had hypoxemia and severe metabolic acidosis with respiratory alkalosis initially. Three hours after her ingestion she presented with drowsy consciousness, tachycardia, tachypnea and protracted vomiting. Laboratory studies showed leukocytosis, elevated glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, amylase, lactate dehydrogenase, and total bilirubin, coagulation defect and hemolysis. Aspiration pneumonia and vision loss were also noted. Four hours after ingestion cardiopulmonary arrest suddenly occurred after severe vomiting and she expired. Toxicological studies showed marked elevation of serum iron (2440 micrograms/dl); the estimated oral dose of ferric chloride was equivalent to 11.52 g (230 mg/kg) of elemental iron. This patient did not receive deferoxamine due to rapid deterioration and a late diagnosis. Deferoxamine should be given in any symptomatic patient or in the presence of anion gap metabolic acidosis with a history of ferric chloride ingestion.

Language: en

Keywords

Acidosis; Adult; Alkalosis, Respiratory; Chlorides; Fatal Outcome; Female; Ferric Compounds; Heart Arrest; Humans; Hypoxia; Iron; Poisoning; Sleep Stages; Solutions; Suicide, Attempted; Taiwan; Vomiting