A fatal case of acute boric acid poisoning.

A 77 year-old male mistakenly ingested an estimated 30 g of boric acid as a single oral dose to stop hiccups. On admission, he had vomiting, diarrhea, and hiccups. Laboratory data was diagnostic of acute renal failure. Hemodialysis and charcoal hemoperfusion were performed in series. The serum concentration of boric acid was reduced by the therapy, but the patient died due to cardiac insufficiency. Acute boric acid poisoning resulting from a single oral dose in adults has rarely been reported. Our case is the fourth fatal case in adults since the 1920s following a single, acute ingestion of boric acid.