Abdominal imaging in zinc phosphide poisoning.
Radiography has been proved to be a good diagnostic tool in visualization of many radiopaque xenobiotics in clinical toxicology. Zinc is a potentially radiopaque material which is a constituent of the zinc phosphide (ZN2P3) rodenticide. We report two cases of zinc phosphide poisoning with positive abdominal X-rays in whom the diagnosis was confirmed by abdominal imaging. Positive abdominal imaging was an indication for aggressive management; however, aggressive treatment was not lifesaving in one of them. We aim to emphasize the diagnostic value of abdominal X-rays in zinc phosphide-poisoned patients. We also would like to suggest that zinc phosphide (ZP)-poisoned patients with positive X-rays have more chance to become unstable even if they are symptom free on presentation and should be more aggressively managed.
Department of Clinical Toxicology, Loghman-Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Karegar Street, Tehran, Iran.
Hossein
H
Hassanian-Moghaddam
Makhtoom
M
Shahnazi
Nasim
N
Zamani
Hooman
H
Bahrami-Motlagh
D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010720:Phosphines / Q000506:poisoning*; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D012378:Rodenticides / Q000506:poisoning*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000506:poisoning*
D010720:Phosphines; D012378:Rodenticides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C009701:zinc phosphide