Survival case of colchicine intoxication following ingestion of a lethal dose.
BACKGROUND
There have been few reports of cases where the ingestion of colchicine was utilized as a method of suicide and accordingly, its effect on the human body is not fully understood. It has been reported that all individuals who ingested more than 0.8 mg/kg of colchicine died of shock within 72 hours.


METHODS
A 46-year-old man was sent to the hospital after ingesting a lethal amount of colchicine (total dose, 71 mg; body weight, about 70 kg) in a suicide attempt. On admission, his vital signs were stable and physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory findings were normal. He was admitted to the intensive care unit, and severe diarrhea and vomiting commenced approximately 4 hours after ingestion, accompanied by electrolyte disturbance, coagulopathy and renal dysfunction. Bone marrow suppression, bradycardia, alopecia and myoneuropathy also occurred, these findings being the typical symptoms of colchicine poisoning. The symptoms were almost resolved after about 1 week and he was discharged on the 19th day of admission.


CONCLUSIONS
Immediate and precise care for colchicine poisoning successfully saved the patient's life.
Department of Critical Care and Traumatology, National Hospital Organization Disaster Medical Center.
Yosuke
Y
Usumoto
Toru
T
Hifumi
Nobuaki
N
Kiriu
Hiroshi
H
Kato
Yuichi
Y
Koido
Manami
M
Nishida
Akira
A
Namera
D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy; D003078:Colchicine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000506:poisoning*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003422:Critical Care; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy; D014883:Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy
D003078:Colchicine