Citation

Durukan P, Ozdemir C, Coskun R, Ikizceli I, Esmaoglu A, Kurtoglu S, Guven M. Eur. J. Emerg. Med. 2009; 16(1): 53-56.

Affiliation

Departments of Emergency Medicine, Forensic Medicine, Internal Medicine, Anaesthesiology and Reanimation, Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/MEJ.0b013e3283088e2b

PMID

18931618

Abstract

This paper describes very rare chemical poisoning and characteristics of patients with acute endosulfan mass poisoning in a rural area of Turkey and our experiences of these patients. We included 41 patients who were treated in our hospital with the diagnosis of endosulfan poisoning. After the first vital intervention they were examined in terms of age, sex, symptoms and physical examination findings, laboratory results, treatment and outcome. Forty-one patients were admitted to the emergency department (ED) after triage. Nineteen (46.3%) of the patients were female, 22 (53.7%) were male. The mean age was 27.9+/-16.0 years (1-67 years). The mean time to the ED was 4.1+/-0.9 h (3-6.5 h). The most common symptoms were anxiety (97.6%), nausea (56.1%) and vomiting (48.8%). Tests of the blood samples obtained at the ED revealed leucocytosis (11 070.6+/-4302.5/mul), increased blood glucose, LDH, CK and CK-MB levels. Toxicological analysis of blood and urine samples revealed endosulfan as the causative agent. Especially in the rural areas, cases with acute repetitive seizures should suggest endosulfan intoxication when the aetiology is uncertain even in the absence of any signs of intoxication. Health care professionals should understand the hazards associated with the pesticide use as well as diagnosis and treatment of these types of poisonings.

Language: en