Clinical analysis of children with anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning

Abstract

Objective To investigate clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of children with anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning. Methods From January 2013 to December 2015, a total of 50 children with anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning who were admitted to Guizhou Provincial People′s Hospital were enrolled into this study by retrospective method. Their ages ranged from 2-month-old to 12-year old. The following items were observed. ① Basic information, including the onset of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning, gender, age, origin, occurrence season, toxic exposure of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning and clinical manifestations were analyzed. ②Laboratory examinations, including routine blood test, blood coagulation, coagulation factor activity, serum toxicology examination, liver and renal function, myocardial enzymes were detected. ③ The diagnosis, course of disease and prognosis were analyzed. Furthermore, the prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) before and after the vitamin K1 treatment were statistically analyzed. The procedures followed in this study were in line with the ethical standards set by Ethical Review Board of Investigation in Human Beings of Guizhou Provincial People′s Hospital and were approved by the committee. Results ① Among those 50 cases, 6 cases (12.0%, 6/50) came from city and 44 cases (88.0%, 44/50) came from countryside. Among the 44 cases from countryside, 18 cases (40.9%, 18/44) were left-behind children. ② The high-occurrence seasons of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning were spring and autumn, accounted for 30.0% (15/50) and 28.0% (14/50), respectively. ③ Among those 50 cases, 17 cases (34.0%, 17/50) had toxic exposure of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning, 6 cases (12.0%, 6/50) had suspicious toxic exposure of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning, and 27 cases (54.0%, 27/50) denied toxic exposure of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning. ④ The main clinical manifestations were mucocutaneous hemorrhage (50.0%, 25/50), as well as arthrodynia, myalgia, ecchymosis, alimentary tract hemorrhage, and so on. ⑤ A total of 37 cases received serum toxicology examination. The results revealed that 26 cases (70.3%, 26/37) were detected simple brodifacoum poisoning, 5 cases (13.5%, 5/37) were detected simple bromadiolone poisoning, and 6 cases (16.2%, 6/37) were detected both brodifacoum and bromadiolone poisoning. And brodifacoum concentration ranged from 42 ng/mL to 3 096 ng/mL among 32 cases with brodifacoum poisoning, bromadiolone concentration ranged from 5 ng/mL to 767 ng/mL among 11 cases with bromadiolone poisoning. ⑥ There were statistically significant differences in the aspects of PT, APTT before and after the vitamin K1 treatment among those 50 cases (Z=-6.093, -6.093; P<0.001). Conclusions The vitamin K1 is an effective treatment for anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning. Clinicians should make the individualized treatment of vitamin K1 for the children with anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning based on the results of serum toxicology examination and blood coagulation detection, and the period of vitamin K1 treatment should more than 2-3 months. Key words: Poisoning; Anticoagulant rodenticide; Vitamin K1; Child