Citation

Niehues R, Horstkotte D, Klein RM, Kühl U, Kutkuhn B, Hort W, Iffland R, Strauer BE. Dtsch. Med. Wochenschr. 1995; 120(12): 403-408.

Vernacular Title

Wiederholte Ingestion potentiell letaler Thalliummengen in suizidaler Absicht.

Affiliation

Abteilung für Kardiologie, Pneumologie und Angiologie, Universität Düsseldorf.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Georg Thieme Verlag)

DOI

10.1055/s-2008-1055360

PMID

7705202

Abstract

30 minutes after drinking half a cup of rat poison a 16-year-old girl was admitted to hospital. In addition to various enteric detoxification measures forced dialysis was instituted and, after the urinary thallium level had become known (9 mg/l), haemodialysis was begun and ferric ferrocyanide (Prussian blue) administered (0.5 mg daily for six days). She had no symptoms at any time. After 10 days she was discharged. Five days after discharge she was again admitted, with colic-like abdominal pain, vomiting, paraesthesias of the hands and feet, and in a state of agitation. She had once again ingested rat poison, about one cup. Physical examination revealed little of consequence, except diffuse alopecia. Urinary thallium concentration was 37 mg/l. In the electrocardiogram the P-R interval was shortened to 0.11 s and T waves inverted in leads III and V1. Electronmicroscopy of cardiac and skeletal biopsies revealed lipid droplets, increased sarcoplasm and widening of some of the tubules. Treatment consisted of haemodialysis, forced diuresis (1 l urine/h), administration of ferric ferrocyanide, orthograde intestinal infusions and potassium substitution (serum level: 5 mmol/l). After 28 days the patient was discharged into psychiatric care.

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