Open AccessA Successfully Treated Case of Criminal Thallium Poisoning
Author(s) -
Tetsuya Yumoto,
Kohei Tsukahara,
Hiromichi Naito,
Atsuyoshi Iida,
Atsunori Nakao
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of clinical and diagnostic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2249-782X
pISSN - 0973-709X
DOI - 10.7860/jcdr/2017/24286.9494
Subject(s) - thallium , activated charcoal , medicine , dermatology , pediatrics , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , adsorption
Thallium was once commonly used as a household rodent or ant killer, but many countries have banned such use due to unintentional or criminal poisonings of humans. A common initial clinical manifestation of thallium poisoning is gastrointestinal symptoms followed by delayed onset of neurological symptoms and alopecia. These clinical characteristics can provide important diagnostic clues regarding thallium poisoning. Here, we report a 23-year-old woman who was poisoned by a business colleague when she unknowingly drank tea containing the toxic substance several times. The patient was treated with multi-dose activated charcoal with airway protection and Prussian blue.