@article{ref1,
title="Fatal 2,4-dinitrophenol poisoning... coming to a hospital near you.'",
journal="Emergency medicine journal",
year="2010",
author="Siegmueller, Claas and Narasimhaiah, Raghunanda",
volume="27",
number="8",
pages="639-640",
abstract="An adult man was brought into the emergency department after deliberate ingestion of dinitrophenol: an agent that uncouples mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The patient rapidly developed a hyper-metabolic state with fever, respiratory failure and died within a few hours after admission. Dinitrophenol is used in the manufacture of dyes, pesticides and explosives. Sub-acute poisoning is associated with weight-loss and the substance had been prescribed for this purpose during the 1930s in the United States before being banned due to serious side effects. Although remaining unlicensed as a drug, dinitrophenol is widely available through mail-order websites and online pharmacies, which promote it as an anti-obesity treatment. This case highlights the need for awareness of possibly increasing rates of accidental poisoning with a growing obesity prevalence and availability of this unlicensed drug through the internet. Additionally, we discuss the use of dantrolene in dinitrophenol poisoning and question whether current Toxbase/UK National Poison Information Service treatment guidelines regarding the indication and dosing of this drug, the only relatively specific treatment in dinitrophenol poisoning presently recommended, could be revised.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1472-0205",
doi="10.1136/emj.2009.072892",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/emj.2009.072892"
}