[Acute iron poisoning. A case report].
The ingestion of iron-containing products is a potential toxicological emergency. It is a leading cause of pediatric unintentional ingestion fatalities because some iron-containing compounds are readily available (vitamin mixtures, iron pills). Among adults, it has been described as accidental overdoses (mainly in pregnancy) and as suicidal attempts. We report a 42 years old woman, admitted due to the intentional ingestion of iron pills with suicidal purposes. A plain abdominal X ray showed at least 20 pills in the gastric fundus and antrum. She was successfully treated with intravenous desferroxamine chelation. Plain abdominal X ray examination can be very useful in the diagnosis of acute iron poisoning.
Jover
F
F
Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Clínico Universitario de San Juan Alicante, España. fjoverdiaz@coma.es
Andreu
L
L
Robert
J
J
Merino
J
J
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000506:poisoning*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011041:Poisoning / Q000628:therapy; D013406:Suicide, Attempted
D007501:Iron
Intoxicación aguda por hierro en un caso.