Citation

Shadnia S, Mehrpour O, Abdollahi M. Hum. Exp. Toxicol. 2008; 27(1): 87-89.

Affiliation

Loghman-Hakim Hospital Poison Center, Faculty of Medicine, and Toxicological Research Center (TRC), Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0960327107086241

PMID

18480154

Abstract

Aluminum phosphide as a releaser of phosphine gas is used as a grain preservative. In this case report, we describe an accidental severe poisoning in a 35-year-old woman, her 18-year-old daughter, and 6-year-old son caused by inhalation of phosphine gas released from 20 tablets of aluminum phosphide stored in 15 rice bags. The boy died 2 days after exposure before admission to hospital and any special treatment, but the others were admitted 48 h after exposure. They had signs and symptoms of severe toxicity, and their clinical course included metabolic acidosis, electrocardiographic changes, and hypotension. They were treated by intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate, magnesium sulfate, and calcium gluconate. The patients were discharged after 3 days and followed up for 1 week after discharge. Rapid absorption of phosphine by inhalation, induction of hyperglycemia, and surviving of patients are interesting issues of this case report.

Language: en