"Wheat pill [aluminum phosphide] poisoning"; commonly ignored dilemma. A comprehensive clinical review

ABSTRACT

The number of deaths due to wheat pill poisoning is enormous and despite aggressive management only a few patients survive the fatal effects of the wheat pill poison. Despite the growing number of patients appearing in the emergency departments with this easily available poison in the market, very little effort has been put forth to study the subject scientifically and to prevent the ongoing loss of precious lives. This is a narrative review of the wheat pill poisoning, highlighting the important steps in diagnosis and management. Data sources include Pubmed, Scopus, Medline [1996 to date], Cochrane library and Google scholar. We included all clinical trials, systematic reviews and ongoing cohort studies. Wheat pill [Aluminum Phosphide] poisoning is a lethal toxin and its effective treatment requires prompt diagnosis and early, time-efficient management. Early transfer to a healthcare facility, good resuscitation, diagnosis, monitoring, gastric lavage and supportive therapy are the hallmarks of management and may result in improved outcomes. The governmental and legislative authorities must take appropriate steps towards limiting its availability at the grass-roots level. Aluminum Phosphide poisoning must be a part of the medical students' curriculum and long-term, well-designed comprehensive research studies are required to discover new modalities of treatment