Fatality due to acute fluoride poisoning in the workplace.
We report a case of a 65-year-old worker who suffered a third-degree skin burn to 5% of his total body surface area as a result of being splashed in the face with hydrofluoric acid (HF). He died shortly thereafter without having received adequate first aid. His serum fluoride concentration was markedly increased at 6.38 mg/dl with hypocalcemia and hyperkalemia. We concluded that he died of HF poisoning. In this case he might have managed to avoid death if he had not been working alone and if he had received adequate first aid on the scene as soon as possible. We re-emphasize the need for the immediate initiation of first aid on the scene and the distribution of information on the risks of HF to workers.
Takase
Izumi
I
Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, Osaka 569-8686, Japan. leg011@art.osaka-med.ac.jp
Kono
Koichi
K
Tamura
Akiyoshi
A
Nishio
Hajime
H
Dote
Tomotaro
T
Suzuki
Koichi
K
D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000368:Aged; D002057:Burns, Chemical / Q000150:complications*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005458:Fluoride Poisoning / Q000209:etiology*; D005459:Fluorides / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006858:Hydrofluoric Acid; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects
D005459:Fluorides; D006858:Hydrofluoric Acid