Unusual manifestations after malathion poisoning.

We report a case of organophosphate poisoning with a commercial preparation of malathion (deliberate ingestion of Malathane Garden Spray: malathion 15% in isopropyl alcohol) in which the initial cholinergic crisis was followed by cardiac, pulmonary, neurological and renal manifestations. They occurred when erythrocyte and plasma cholinesterases were reactivating. A chemical analysis of the pesticide preparation revealed, apart from malathion itself, the presence of isopropylmalathion and O,O,S-trimethylphosphorothioate. Although pure malathion is regarded as one of the safest organophosphate insecticides, this observation underlines the possibility of severe complications after exposure to a preparation which has been stored for a long period of time.

Severe and prolonged poisoning by fenthion. Significance of the determination of the anticholinesterase capacity of plasma.

A case of acute poisoning by oral ingestion of fenthion is reported. The different clinical signs, especially the delayed and prolonged symptomatology, are described. The various types of therapeutic measures (gastric lavage with charcoal, administration of atropine, Toxogonine, lyophilized human cholinesterase, and fresh plasma and exchange transfusion) are discussed. Correlation studies between clinical signs and plasma and erythrocyte cholinesterase activities are presented together with plasma fenthion levels and the anticholinesterase capacity of the patient's plasmas.

[A rapid and simple method for the qualitative and quantitative determination of hexapropymate in biological fluids and organs (author's transl)]. / Une méthode simple et rapide pour la recherche et le dosage de l'hexapropymate dans les milieux biologiques et les organes.

The method is based mainly on the extraction of the substance by a small volume of organic solvent from an alkaline medium containing a fairly important amount of inorganic salt. The extract is then subjected to thin layer and/or gas chromatography. The authors present also the relative frequency that they met on hexapropymate intoxications together with the concentrations in blood obtained in cases accompanied with deep coma.