Incidental Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning: Case Report and Current Management

• Main Authors: Çakın Özlem, Tazegul Gokhan, Gümüş Ayça, Cengiz Melike, Ramazanoğlu Atilla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 2018-09-01
• Series: Folia Medica
• Subjects: aluminum phosphide; poisoning; inhalation; phosphine
• Online Access: http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/folmed.2018.60.issue-3/folmed-2018-0001/folmed-2018-0001.xml?format=INT

Aluminum phosphide (AlP) is a commonly used cheap rodenticide, insecticide, and fumigant. Most intoxications in the literature are suicidal ingestions, however, AlP may cause incidental inhalational toxicities as well. After ingestion or inhalation, nausea, vomiting, dyspnea and abdominal pain develops within minutes. Hallmark of toxicity is refractory hypotension, cardiac failure and severe metabolic acidosis developing within a matter of hours are the major cause of mortality. In Turkey, AlP tablets are widely accessible and are sold without any restrictions. However, there are few local case reports in the literature. Additionally, incidental AlP intoxications are rarely reported.