[A cardiac lesion secondary to paraquat]. / Lesão cardíaca secundária ao paraquat.

PURPOSE: To evaluate cardiac alterations secondary to exogenous intoxication by paraquat. METHODS: We performed analysis of clinical and laboratory data of 25 patients with acute paraquat poisoning admitted in our ICU from November 1983 to January 1991. RESULTS: There were purposeful overdoses in 24 cases (96%). The mortality rate was 56%. The lung involvement was 96%, renal was 92%, gastrointestinal tract was 72%, hepatic was 56%, and cardiac involvement was 40%. CONCLUSION: Cardiac involvement due to paraquat is frequent (40%). The clinical picture of this involvement has a wide spectrum, ranging from minimal changes in the ECG to acute and extensive myocardial necrosis.