Suicidal sodium azide ingestion.
Sodium azide (NaN3) is a highly reactive, toxic, widely used chemical. Although industrial exposure is common, fatal ingestion is rare. We describe the case of a 30-year-old man who ingested 15 to 20 g of sodium azide. He became comatose within two hours and eventually expired from a combination of acidosis, respiratory depression, and ventricular fibrillation. In sufficient doses, sodium azide is rapidly fatal and there is no effective treatment.
Department of Surgery, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington 06032.
J
J
Abrams
R S
RS
el-Mallakh
R
R
Meyer
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001386:Azides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000506:poisoning*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D019810:Sodium Azide; D013405:Suicide
D001386:Azides; D019810:Sodium Azide