Correlation between 'on admission' blood toluene concentrations and the presence or absence of signs and symptoms in solvent abusers.
For 1 year, from June 1987 to June 1988, toluene concentrations in blood samples of patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital after inhaling solvent vapor, collected on admission and 4 h later, were analyzed by gas chromatograph. Toluene levels in the first urine samples collected after admission were also analyzed and case histories were kept listing age, sex and physical and psychiatric effects. In all, 51 cases were studied--34 males and 17 females. (1) The average age of the males was 21.4 years and of the female 16.2 years. (2) The toluene concentrations in the blood collected on admission ranged from 0.3 to 22.8 micrograms/g. (3) Physical signs were observed in 9 patients with an "on admission" blood toluene concentrations of more than 3.0 micrograms/g; twice as many subjects (18), however, with blood toluene concentration greater than 3.0 micrograms/g were without physical signs. (4) The blood toluene concentrations of three cases in the condition known as twilight state were more than 10.0 micrograms/g. (5) In 24 cases with blood toluene concentrations below 3.0 micrograms/g, there were no physical signs. (6) Five subjects with blood toluene concentrations in the 0.8-5.2 micrograms/g range showed neuropsychiatric effects; however, 23 subjects in the same blood toluene concentration range did not exhibit psychiatric effects, and none of the subjects with blood toluene concentrations greater than 5.2 micrograms/g, 15 in all, had such effects.
Miyazaki
T
T
Department of Legal Medicine, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kojima
T
T
Yashiki
M
M
Chikasue
F
F
Tsukue
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine; D014050:Toluene / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine
D014050:Toluene