title: Acute iron poisoning: clinical picture, intensive care needs and outcome.
abstract: In this retrospective study, we examined the prevalence of acute iron poisoning among children attending Pediatric Emergency service of a teaching hospital, and studied their clinical profile, treatment and outcome to define intensive care needs. During the 5 years' study period of 27125 patient visits to Pediatric Emergency, 337 (1.2%) were for accidental poisoning. Of these 21(7%) patients had iron poisoning; 18 were transferred to PICU. Three patients were asymptomatic, others had vomiting (n =15, 83%), diarrhoea (n =13, 72%), malena (n = 8, 44%), and hemetemesis (n=6, 33%) generally within 6 hours of ingestion. Nine progressed to shock and/or impaired consciousness; two had acute liver failure. Dose of ingested iron and clinical signs were most useful guide to iron toxicity and management decisions; serum iron did not help. Gastric lavage yielded fragments of iron tablets in 10 patients. On desferrioxamine infusion Vin-rose colour urine was not seen in 31% even in presence of high serum iron. Shock responded to normal saline (33 +/- 15 mL/kg) and dopamine (10 +/- 4 microg/kg/min) within 4-24 hours in 7 of 9 patients. Presence of shock or acute liver failure with coagulopathy and/or severe acidosis predicted all the four deaths. Desferrioxamine infusion and supportive care of shock was the mainstay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India. drsinghi@glide.net.in
authors.forename: Sunit C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Singhi
authors.forename: Arun Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Baranwal
authors.forename: Jayashree
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: M
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D003906:Developing Countries; D062787:Drug Overdose / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric; D007501:Iron / Q000506:poisoning*; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D007501:Iron