Two cases of successful management of paraquat poisoning with pulmonary fibrosis / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Paraquat, a very potent herbicide, has produced many fatalities through indiscriminate usage and suicides. It is known that with ingestion of more than one mouthful of 20% paraquat, death usually occurs by pulmonary fibrosis. We experienced two cases of successful outcome in patients with paraquat poisoning complicated with pulmonary fibrosis through active, intensive treatment from the early phase after ingestion. They swallowed one to two mouthfuls of the 20% commercial paraquat, and received hemoperfusion within 2-3 hours after ingestion. Then, combination therapy with steroid, vitamin C, D-penicillamine, allopurinol, colchicine was administered from the early phase. They showed moderate to severe hypoxemia and pulmonary fibrosis on chest HRCT during hospital course, but recovered from hypoxemia and remained very well on follow up over 3 months and 12 months after ingestion, respectively. We report these cases with literature review on treatment and prognosis of paraquat poisoning.