Availability of intravenous lipid emulsion therapy on endosulfan-induced cardiovascular collapse

Acute Endosulfan poisoning is associated with a high mortality rate in humans, and can exceed 30% [Moon JM, Chun BJ. Acute endosulfan poisoning: a retrospective study. Hum Exp Toxicol 2009;28:309-16]. Prophylactic anticonvulsant therapy for symptomatic patients and aggressive treatment for seizures may limit morbidity, but, no effective antidote is available [Moses V, Peter JV. Acute intentional toxicity: endosulfan and other organochlorines. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2010;48:539-44]. However, endosulfan poisoning is often completely reversible with the appropriate management [Karatas AD, Aygun D, Baydin A. Characteristics of endosulfan poisoning: a study of 23 cases. Singapore Med J 2006;47:1030-2]. Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) may be a useful in treatment of lipophilic medication overdoses as an adjunct to antidotal therapy [Rothschild L, Berns S, Oswald S, et al. Intravenous lipid emulsion in clinical toxicology. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2010;18:51]. We believe that this is its first reported use in endosulfan toxicity.