Hearing and Visual Loss with Renal Failure Due to Sodium Bromate Poisoning / 대한신장학회잡지

ABSTRACT

Hair neutralizer in home permanent cold wave kits contains a 2% to 10% potassium or sodium bromate, which is colorless, odorless and tasteless solution. Bromate salts are extremely toxic oxidants. The reported toxic effects of bromates poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, depression of central nervous system, oliguric acute renal failure, sensorineural hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy and hemolytic anemia. Deafness seems to be almost permanent. In many cases, the recovery of renal function is not complete and some of them are transformed to chronic renal failure and maintained on hemodialysis. Since the serious side effects of deafness and acute renal filure usually occur within 4-16 h after ingestion, prompt removal of the bromate from blood by peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis, which are proven method of removal, should be performed immediately. Recently, we encountered a 37 year old female hairdresser who was admitted to St. Mary Hospital due to oligura, hearing loss and visual loss after ingestion of sodium bromate. The patient required regular hemodialysis therapy and no recovery of hearing and visual loss was evident up to 8 month follow up.