Cyanide poisoning is expected to be antagonized by the administration of oxygen, when it is administered in combination with the conventional cyanide antidote, sodium,thiosulfate. However, the antidotal efficacy and its exact mechanism of oxygen in cyanide poisoning is still a controversial one. To test the effect of oxygen on the antidotal action of thiosulfate ,in cyanide poisoning, author designed this study on the dose-mortality patterns for potassium cyanide in mice. Potency ratios derived from LDso values were compared in groups of mice treated with sodium thiosulfate alone and sodium thiosulfate with oxygen. These results indicated that oxygen enhances the anti-dotal effect of sodium thiosulfate, effectively. This fact demonstrates that oxygen is of importance in the treatment of cyanide poisoning.
Animals ; Mice ; Oxygen* ; Poisoning* ; Potassium Cyanide ; Sodium

Poisoning due to potassium bromate, cold wave neutralizer for permanent waving solution in hair styling, is rarely encountered and only few cases are as a cause of acute renal failure reported in medical literature. Recently, we saw a 18 year-old-female patient, hair stylist, who was admitted to Severance Hospital due to acute renal failure after accidental ingestion of potassium bromate. This is the first known case of acute renal failure due to potassium bromate poisoning in Korea.
Adolescent ; Bromates/poisoning* ; Bromine/poisoning* ; Female ; Hair Preparations/poisoning* ; Human ; Kidney Failure, Acute/chemically induced* ; Kidney Failure, Acute/diagnosis ; Korea ; Potassium/poisoning

Cyanide(hydrogen cyanide-HCN: potassium cyanide-KCN) is an important lethal poison that asphyxates by blocking the utilization of oxygen by the tissues through chemical binding of respiratory enzyme. It taken orally causes extensive corrosion of the stomach including oral and esophageal mucosa and leads to sudden death. In addition, it is one of the toxic agents with carbon monoxide in fire victims and is released by combustion of nitrogen-containing organic material such as plastic and wool. Until now there are few reports about blood cyanide concentrations in fatalities by fire in Korea. So, in this study, we examined blood cyanide concentration in 12 cases of fire fatalities. Simple microdiffusion procedure was used as a analysis method of cyanide. In 12 cases of fire victims, blood cyanide concentrations averaged 2.30 microgram/ml, with a range of 0.64 -4.27 microgram/ml.
Carbon Monoxide ; Corrosion ; Death, Sudden ; Fires* ; Korea ; Mucous Membrane ; Oxygen ; Plastics ; Poisoning* ; Potassium ; Stomach ; Wool

Bromate which is an oxidant exists as a form of potassium bromate (KBrO3) and sodium bromate (NaBrO3) and has been primarily used as a permanent neutralizer in a household. In 1985, that has been reported for clinical course of bromate poisoing. After 1985, many variable clinical manifestation of the bromate poisoning were reported in Korea. In 2003, three patients of the bromate poisoing admited in Sanggye Paik hospital,Inje university school of medicine, Korea. In this work, the bromate poisoning was investigated based on 3 cases experienced previously 8 cases reported in Korea and compared with the case report of foreign country.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Family Characteristics ; Hearing Loss ; Humans ; Korea ; Poisoning* ; Potassium ; Renal Dialysis ; Sodium

OBJECTIVE: Morphologic features of the corpse of rabbits died of potassium intoxication were studied in order to elucidate an objective evidence for forensic determination of death caused by potassium intoxication. METHODS: Macroscopic, microscopic, and ultrastructural (by transmission electron microscopy) changes were observed in the heart, brain, and kidney of rabbits killed by intravenous push or continuous infusion at 100 drips per minute with 0.3% and 1% KCl, respectively. Normal rabbits without any treatment killed by bleeding were used as controls. RESULTS: Macroscopically, cardiac dilatation and congestion/stasis as well as ischemic and hypoxic changes in various organs were observed in rabbits died of potassium injection. Microscopically and ultrastructurally, there were destruction of the cardiac fibers with thickening, concentrating, or disappearing of the Z-line, constriction of the glomerular capillaries, enlargement of the Bowman capsule, thinning and fusion of foot processes, as well as apoptosis with phagocytosis in brain observed, particularly in the group infused with 1% KCl. CONCLUSION The morphologic changes observed in the heart and kidney appear to be characteristic, supporting death caused by potassium intoxication.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain/pathology* ; Cadaver ; Capillaries/pathology* ; Forensic Pathology ; Injections, Intravenous/methods* ; Kidney Glomerulus/pathology* ; Male ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Phagocytosis ; Postmortem Changes ; Potassium/poisoning* ; Potassium Chloride/administration & dosage* ; Rabbits

OBJECTIVE: To explore the objective evidence of the corpus biochemical changes in rabbits for postmortem diagnosis of potassium intoxication. METHODS: Rabbits were sacrificed by Infusion of 0.3% KCl at full speed push or 1% KCl at 100 drip/min, respectively, with normal rabbits used as control. Cardiac blood and urine samples were collected before and after potassium infusion to examine the concentrations of various electrolytes (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, and HCO3-) and to observe the antemortem and postmortem biochemical changes. RESULTS: The mean lethal infusion time in the 0.3%KCl group was longer than that in the 1% KCl group (P = 0.006). The serum concentration of K+ increased while the serum concentrations of Na+, Ca2+, Cl-, and HCO3- decreased after the infusion. There were no statistically significant differences in the whole blood concentration of K+ as well as the serum concentration of Mg2+ between the two groups (P = 0.062). There were statistically significant differences in the concentrations of whole blood K+, as well as serum Na+, Mg2+, and Cl-, but not in the serum K+, Ca2+, and HCO3-. There were no statistically significant differences seen in the urine volumes and the concentrations of all the urine electrolytes between the groups. CONCLUSION Examination of the concentrations of K+ both in the whole blood and serum, as well as Mg2+ in the serum may be helpful for postmortem diagnosis of potassium intoxication.
Animals ; Calcium/urine* ; Electrolytes/urine* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Injections, Intravenous/methods* ; Magnesium/urine* ; Male ; Postmortem Changes ; Potassium/poisoning* ; Potassium Chloride/administration & dosage* ; Rabbits ; Sodium/urine*

PURPOSE: Paraquat is widely used non-selective contact herbicide. In spite of efforts to improve the outcome in paraquat poisoning, the mortality rate still remains high. The purpose of this study is to assess the predictive factors of prognosis by investigating initial laboratory data on paraquat poisoning. METHODS: The author retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, laboratory data, and outcomes for 130 paraquatpoisoning patients treated from June 1997 to September 2003 at the emergency medical center of Chonnam National University Hospital. RESULTS: The results were as follows: 1) The mortalities were significantly older than the survivors (49.3 years vs 37.6 years, p<0.05). Among the total 130 cases, the survivors numbered 50, and the deceased numbered 80. The mean age of all 130 cases was 44.8+/-16.9 years. 2) The white blood cell count and the levels of serum AST and ALT in the deceased were significantly higher than they were in the survivors. The levels of arterial pH, PaCO 2, base excess, HCO3 -, and serum potassium in the survivors were significantly higher than they were in the deceased. 3) A multivariate Cox-Regression analysis revealed that sex, serum potassium, and arterial HCO3 - were associated with the mortality rate. CONCILUSION: The above data reveal that the ingested amount, the result of the urine sodium dithionite test, and the initial state of laboratory parameters, including the white blood cell count, ABGA (pH, PaCO2, HCO3 -, base excess), serum potassium, AST, and ALT, can be used to predict the outcome of paraquat poisoning.
Dithionite ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Jeollanam-do ; Leukocyte Count ; Mortality ; Paraquat* ; Poisoning* ; Potassium ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Survivors

It Is known that free radical is produced by many environmental factors and leads to a variety of pathophysiological lesions often resulting in metabolic Impairment and cell death. Many researches have been performed to limit production of the tree radical. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) has been known to cure of disease relevant to oxygen poisoning. The bis-carboxylethylgemanium sesquioxide (Ge-132) has been suggested to show scavenging activity to precent oxygen damage from lesions. In this study, bioeffects of SOD and Ge-132 for dismutation and scavenging ol the harmful free radical were investigated in Sprague-Dawely rats exposed to the hyperbaric oxygen (HBO 100% oxygen) and hyperbaric ambient air (HAA) under 3.0 atmospheres absolute (ATA) for 180 minutes. When rats were treated with SOD alone anti SOD plus Ge-132 after exposed to HBO, concentrations of potassium and sodium tended to significantly decrease to those in control at levels of p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively. In contrast, when rats were treated with the SOD only and the SOD only Ge-132 after HBO exposure, creatine phosphokinase significantly increased to the normal level in control. To see whether the SOD anti SOD plus Ge-132 could heal lesions due 4o the tree radicals, rats were exposed to the HBO environment and treated with the SOD alone and SOD plus Ge-132 and then those lung tissues were histopathologically observed using transmission electron microscope (TEM). Lung In exposure to the HAA environment was congested and its alveolar sac was filled with several erythrocytes. Lung to the HBO environment was filled with more erythrocytes than in the HAA. In addition, there were severe lesions of cellular necrosis, hemorrhage, infiltration of inflammatory leucocytes. When rats in exposure to HBO were treated with SOD alone or SOD plus Ge-132, no pathological changes in the lung were observed in comparison with control group. These data indicated that the Ge-132 may synergistically Influence the SOD to remove the tree radicals harmful to tissue.
Animals ; Atmosphere ; Cell Death ; Creatine Kinase ; Erythrocytes ; Estrogens, Conjugated (USP) ; Hemorrhage ; Lung ; Necrosis ; Oxygen* ; Poisoning ; Potassium ; Rats* ; Sodium ; Superoxide Dismutase

OBJECTIVETo investigate suitable biomarkers for workers exposure to trimethyltin chloride (TMT-cl).

METHODSUrinary samples of 44 male workers from five TMT-cl occupational poisoning incidents were collected. Methyltin mercaptide stabilizers and waste plastics used in the incidents were also collected. The levels of TMT-cl in all the samples were determined by gas chromatography. The concentration of blood potassium for each poisonings was determined compared to control group (50 male workers of a food company), and the correlation between blood potassium and urinary TMT-cl were also determined.

RESULTSTMT-cl was detected in urine of all the poisonings. The results were (0.869 +/- 0.392) microg/L (severe poisoning), (0.963 +/- 0.482) microg/L (moderate poisoning), (0.716 +/- 0.384) microg/L (mild poisoning) respectively and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). But the severity of the clinical status did not seem to be closely correlated to the level of urinary TMT-cl (F = 1.88, P > 0.05). In the severe poisonings, there were no differences in urinary TMT-cl on day 4 after poisoning from day 1 (P > 0.05). In contrast, urinary TMT-cl was decreased significantly on day 4 than on day 1 in mild and moderate poisonings (P < 0.01). On day 21, levels of urinary TMT-cl of all the poisonings were higher than those of the workers exposed to TMT-cl who had no clinical status (P < 0.01). Blood potassium levels of exposed group was 77.3% which was significantly lower than normal value (P < 0.01). The concentration of blood potassium was lower than normal value (3.5 mmol/L) and was correlated with the severity of the clinical status (F = 4.45, P < 0.05). Level of urinary TMT-cl of exposed group was negatively correlated with blood potassium (r = -0.4456, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONLevel of urinary TMT-cl can be used as exposure biomarker of TMT-cl poisoning. Blood potassium is an early biomarker of effect for TMT-cl poisoning so as to find poisoning population early.

Adult ; Biomarkers ; blood ; urine ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Potassium ; blood ; Trimethyltin Compounds ; poisoning ; urine ; Young Adult

Administration, Oral ; Adult ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; nursing ; Female ; Humans ; Potassium Permanganate ; administration & dosage ; poisoning ; Powders