Suicidal ingestion of formalin with fatal complications

After ingestion of an unknown amount of formalin with suicidal intent, a 55-year-old female and a 34-year-old male were admitted to the hospital with extensive gastrointestinal corrosive damage, circulatory shock, metabolic acidosis, respiratory insufficiency and impairment of renal function, which rapidly progressed to acute renal failure. Metabolic acidosis was in part due to high plasma levels of formic acid, the main metabolite of formaldehyde, and hyperlactatemia. Both patients underwent hemodialysis and hemofiltration treatment. In the male patient, a gastrectomy had to be performed. The further clinical course in the patients was characterized by sepsis and protracted pulmonary complications. Both patients died after developing adult respiratory distress syndrome and global cardiac insufficiency. In vitro experiments on formaldehyde reactivity to proteins yielded evidence for almost complete but reversible binding to plasma and blood. Formaldehyde probably exerts systemic toxicity in the form of its labile Schiff's base with proteins, but not as free formaldehyde.