Citation

Ghariani M, Adrien ML, Raucoules M, Bayle J, Jacomet Y, Grimaud D. Ann. Fr. Anesth. Reanim. 1991; 10(3): 304-307.

Vernacular Title

Intoxication suraigue a l'arsenic.

Affiliation

Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Saint-Roch, Nice.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1854059

Abstract

A cas is reported of a 23-year-old man who voluntarily took a massive dose of arsenic (at least 8 g). In spite of the ingested amount and the acute nature of the poisoning, the patient survived 8 days. Gastrointestinal, neurologic and cardiac features were predominant including nausea, vomiting, choleroid diarrhoea, encephalopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and finally a fatal toxic cardiomyopathy. Metabolic acidosis, moderate cytolysis and an anticoagulant effect were also observed. This unique characteristic was partly due to a circulating anticoagulant with prothrombinase activity, as well as direct antivitamin K activity. Postmortem examination revealed: a congestive oesophagitis; a necrosing gastritis involving all the stomach wall; diffuse hepatic steatosis; skin lesions with vascular congestion and dermoepidermal detachment; discrete subepicardial congestive lesions. Arsenic was found in all tissues.

Language: fr