H Hassanian-Moghaddam1, Makhtoom Shahnazi2, N Zamani3, M Rahimi1, H Bahrami-Motlagh2, H Amiri1. 1. Department of Clinical Toxicology, Loghman-Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2. Department of Radiology, Loghman-Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 3. Department of Clinical Toxicology, Loghman-Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: nasim.zamani@gmail.com.
Abstract
AIM: To evaluate the clinical features of zinc phosphide poisoning and to investigate whether outcome could be prognosticated based on abdominal radiography on presentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All zinc phosphide-poisoned patients who were referred to Loghman-Hakim Hospital between March 2011 and September 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding patients' demographic characteristics, characteristics of the poisoning, abdominal radiography results, and patients' outcome were recorded. RESULTS: In 102 patients, the most common presenting signs/symptoms were nausea and vomiting (60%). Four patients died and another seven had developed complications during their hospitalization (metabolic acidosis, liver abnormalities, or acute renal failure). Nineteen patients had radio-opaque abdominal radiographs, nine of whom had died or developed complications (p = 0.001). Plain abdominal radiography had a sensitivity and specificity of 81% and 89% in predicting the patients' death or further development of complications. The positive and negative predictive values were 47% and 97%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Plain abdominal radiography is a very good tool for prognostication in patients with zinc phosphide poisoning. Immediate abdominal radiography can help stratify patients into high- or low-risk groups and determine treatment strategies.
AIM: To evaluate the clinical features of zinc phosphidepoisoning and to investigate whether outcome could be prognosticated based on abdominal radiography on presentation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All zinc phosphide-poisoned patients who were referred to Loghman-Hakim Hospital between March 2011 and September 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding patients' demographic characteristics, characteristics of the poisoning, abdominal radiography results, and patients' outcome were recorded. RESULTS: In 102 patients, the most common presenting signs/symptoms were nausea and vomiting (60%). Four patients died and another seven had developed complications during their hospitalization (metabolic acidosis, liver abnormalities, or acute renal failure). Nineteen patients had radio-opaque abdominal radiographs, nine of whom had died or developed complications (p = 0.001). Plain abdominal radiography had a sensitivity and specificity of 81% and 89% in predicting the patients' death or further development of complications. The positive and negative predictive values were 47% and 97%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Plain abdominal radiography is a very good tool for prognostication in patients with zinc phosphidepoisoning. Immediate abdominal radiography can help stratify patients into high- or low-risk groups and determine treatment strategies.