Open AccessSecondary Intoxication of Emergency Department Personnel with a Flammable and Highly Toxic Gas: A Lethal Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning Case
Author(s) -
Akinci E,
Kocasaban DU,
Vural K,
Coskun F
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
hong kong journal of emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.145
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2309-5407
pISSN - 1024-9079
DOI - 10.1177/102490791201900110
Subject(s) - medicine , flammable liquid , phosphine , toxic gas , gastric lavage , emergency department , ingestion , toxicology , emergency medicine , anesthesia , medical emergency , waste management , chemistry , biochemistry , psychiatry , engineering , biology , catalysis
Aluminum phosphide (AlP) is a relatively low cost and highly toxic pesticide. Besides being lethal to the patient poisoned by AlP, this substance may easily contaminate emergency medicine personnel through the release of toxic gases such as phosphine. Furthermore, these toxic gases are flammable and may explode during certain patient interventions, such as gastric lavage. We present a case of lethal poisoning of a patient caused by the intentional ingestion of AlP and secondary intoxication of emergency medicine personnel with the explosive phosphine gas.