Case of Late-onset Acute Lung Injury Developed as a Complication of Organophosphate Intoxication-induced Acute Pancreatitis

ABSTRACT

Organophosphate insecticides are used globally and are household items in rural areas of Korea. Their ingestion for a suicidal purpose is common in Korea. Respiratory failure is the most serious manifestation and the usual cause of death in acute organophosphate poisoning, and is usually common during acute cholinergic crisis. But, respiratory failure may appear suddenly in a patient who is recovering from a cholinergic crisis, even while receiving conventional therapy. Most of these respiratory failures are associated with intermediate syndrome or pneumonia. In several recent studies, acute pancreatitis as a complication of organophosphate poisoning has been shown to be not a rare condition and respiratory failure may also occur in acute pancreatitis. However, acute lung injury developing as a complication of organophosphate intoxication-induced pancreatitis has not been hitherto reported in Korea. We described a case of a 50-year-old woman who had acute organophosphate intoxication-induced acute pancreatitis. The patient developed acute lung injury on the eighth day hospital day, after cholinergic crisis, without intermediate syndrome and pneumonia. Exclusion of other causes indicated that the acute lung injury may have developed due to acute pancreatitis.