Alcohol Withdrawal Mimicking Organophosphate Poisoning

• Main Authors: Nezihat Rana Disel, Zeynep Kekec, Ayca Acikalin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cukurova University 2014-02-01
• Series: Çukurova Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi
• Subjects: Alcohol withdrawal; delirium tremens; organophosphate; poisoning
• Online Access: http://www.scopemed.org/fulltextpdf.php?mno=44117

Organophosphates, which can cause occupational poisoning due to inappropriate personal protective measures, are widely used insecticides in agricultural regions of southern Turkey. Therefore, the classical clinical findings of this cholinergic poisoning are myosis, excessive secretions, bradicardia and fasciculations are easy to be recognized by local medical stuff. Diseases and conditions related to alcoholism such as mental and social impairments, coma, toxicity, withdrawal, and delirium are frequent causes of emergency visits of chronic alcoholic patients. Here we present a case diagnosed and treated as organophosphate poisoning although it was an alcohol withdrawal in the beginning and became delirium tremens, due to similar symptoms.