Management of a case of prallethrin poisoning - an unusual agent for suicidal ingestion

Anbarasan Ardhanari,Surekha Saxena,Aditya Kumar,Uma Srivastava

doi:10.4038/slja.v19i1.1879

Anbarasan Ardhanari, Surekha Saxena + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4038/slja.v19i1.1879

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Abstract

Pyrethroids are widely used as commercial and domestic insecticides. Prallethrin is a type I pyrethroid compound and is used as a liquid mosquito repellant. Despite extensive use, there are relatively few reports of human pyrethroid poisoning. This report describes the management of a 20 year-old male patient who had consumed prallethrin. Key words: Insecticide; poisoning DOI: 10.4038/slja.v19i1.1879 Sri Lankan Journal of Anaesthesiology Vol.19(1) 2011 pp.51-52

Highlights

Prallethrin is related to allethrin, a type I pyrethroid and is used as a liquid mosquito repellant
A young 20 year old male was admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) in April 2010 with a history of vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, generalized convulsions and altered sensorium following intentional ingestion of approximately 25ml of liquid mosquito repellant, four hours before coming to hospital
Examination revealed a pulse rate of 121/beats/min following a dose of atropine, blood pressure of 132/68 mmHg, respiratory rate (RR) of 32 breaths/min, glasgow coma score (GCS)-E1, V1, M3, and bilateral crepitations

Summary

Introduction

Prallethrin is related to allethrin, a type I pyrethroid and is used as a liquid mosquito repellant. A young 20 year old male was admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) in April 2010 with a history of vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, generalized convulsions and altered sensorium following intentional ingestion of approximately 25ml of liquid mosquito repellant, four hours before coming to hospital. Examination revealed a pulse rate of 121/beats/min following a dose of atropine, blood pressure of 132/68 mmHg, respiratory rate (RR) of 32 breaths/min, glasgow coma score (GCS)-E1, V1, M3, and bilateral crepitations. Chest X-Ray revealed features of interstitial pulmonary oedema. The condition of the patient improved over 48 hours and was gradually weaned off the ventilator on the 4th day.

Results

Conclusion