Open AccessAttempted suicide by poisoning of self‐prepared arsenic trioxide solution
Author(s) -
Poon KM,
Lam SK,
Lai CH,
Fung HT
Publication year - 2019
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 - 10.1177/1024907918767213
Subject(s) - arsenic trioxide , antidote , chelation therapy , arsenic , gastric lavage , medicine , arsenic poisoning , ingestion , emergency department , realgar , urine , traditional medicine , surgery , toxicity , chemistry , nursing , organic chemistry , thalassemia
Arsenic is a traditional poison that has a history extending back to ancient times. Case presentation: A 43‐year‐old male presented to our Emergency Department 50 min after ingestion of 300 mL self‐prepared arsenic trioxide solution (砒霜). He produced the solution from heating xionghuang (雄黃), an arsenic sulfide mineral (As4S4) which is a Chinese herb, for academic purposes a few years ago. Discussion: Supportive care including fluid replacement and decontamination with gastric lavage and chelation therapy with intravenous dimercaptopropanesulphonate sodium was given to patient. Spot urine arsenic to creatinine ratio significantly decreased from 343,124 nmol/mmol (day 3) to 7116 nmol/mmol (day 5). He had an uneventful course without any neurological deficit. Conclusions: Treatment of acute arsenic poisoning includes supportive care, decontamination, and chelation therapy. DMPS is an antidote for arsenic poisoning and its use should be directed by clinical status and urinary arsenic excretion.