Medicine Science (Sep 2012)

Accidental death due to intentionally usage of organophosphate: Report of two cases

  • Mustafa Dogan,
  • Osman Celbis,
  • Bora Ozdemir,
  • Selim Bozkurt,
  • Mehmet Okumus

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5455/medscience.2012.01.8022
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 3
pp. 206 – 210

Abstract

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The use of organophosphates (OP) in agriculture as insecticides is widespread all over the world. Except for this purpose, it is known that OP have been using against pediculosis capitis in human. We report unusual causes of organophosphate poisoning. A 7 years old child and her mother were admitted to the emergency unit due to poisoning after exposure from emulsion of OP that was used for the treatment of head lice. The daughter who was poisoned by the way of inhalation and direct contact brought to the emergency unit with cardiac arrest. Child was revived with cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, but died at the eighteen days of the treatment in intensive care unit. The mother was bradicardic when she admitted to the emergency unit. After the primary treatment, the mother was taken to the intensive care unit. The mother was discharged after the medical treatment in the intensive care unit for 6 days. The hairs of patients were cut, clothes were removed and bodies were washed in order to avoid recontamination. This is important also for avoiding from contamination of surrounding healthcare personnel. Misuses of OP toxicities are not rare and it may be life threatening. Some of accidental poisonings are intentionally misuse for a purpose of treatment. It should be written on each box that OP should not be used for other purposes like treatment of head lice. [Med-Science 2012; 1(3.000): 206-210]

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