Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Vinyl Chloride and High-Fat Diet as a Model of Environment and Obesity Interaction
09:15

Vinyl Chloride and High-Fat Diet as a Model of Environment and Obesity Interaction

Published on: January 12, 2020

6.9K

Cardiotoxic effect due to accidental ingestion of an organic solvent

Urszula Izabela Cieślik-Guerra1, Tomasz Rechciński2, Ewa Trzos2

  • 1Medical University of Lodz, Łódź, Poland (Chair and Department of Cardiology, Bieganski Hospital). cieursz@wp.pl.

International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health
|July 11, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Accidental ingestion of organic solvents mimicked myocardial infarction, leading to potential misdiagnosis. Early identification of toxic myocardial injury is crucial to prevent cardiac complications like dilated cardiomyopathy.

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Cardiology
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Toxic myocardial injury can be misdiagnosed as myocardial infarction.
  • Inadequate treatment can lead to severe cardiovascular complications such as dilated cardiomyopathy.

Observation:

  • A 65-year-old man presented with symptoms fulfilling myocardial infarction criteria after accidental ingestion of toluene and xylene.
  • Gas chromatography identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in whole blood.

Findings:

  • Cardiac catheterization showed no significant coronary artery disease, only a muscular bridge.
  • The patient's condition mimicked myocardial infarction due to toxic myocardial injury from solvent ingestion.

Implications:

  • Highlights the importance of considering toxicological causes in myocardial injury diagnoses.
  • Emphasizes the need for specific diagnostic approaches beyond standard cardiac workups for solvent-induced cardiac injury.
  • Underscores the potential for misdiagnosis and delayed appropriate treatment in toxic myocardial injury cases.
Keywords:
cardiotoxicitymiocardial infarctionpoisoningtoluenevolatile organic compoundsxylene

More Related Videos

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures09:38

Single-throughput Complementary High-resolution Analytical Techniques for Characterizing Complex Natural Organic Matter Mixtures

Published on: January 7, 2019

9.3K
A Whole Mount In Situ Hybridization Method for the Gastropod Mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis07:33

A Whole Mount In Situ Hybridization Method for the Gastropod Mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis

Published on: March 15, 2016

9.5K

Related Concept Videos

Toxic Reactions: Overview01:26

Toxic Reactions: Overview

When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...
3.9K
Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison01:14

Prevention of Further Absorption of Poison

In cases of acute poisoning, the primary objective is to prevent further absorption of the toxic substance into the body. Immediate interventions using various decontamination techniques targeting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can achieve this. Decontamination is crucial to prevent poison from entering the systemic circulation, which involves washing affected areas with water and mild soap and removing contaminated clothing. Once external decontamination is done, attention must be turned to...
1.4K
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios01:26

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...
83
Drug Toxicity: Overview01:00

Drug Toxicity: Overview

Drug toxicity quantifies the harm a compound causes to an organism, varying by dose and potentially impacting whole systems or specific organs like the liver. Toxic reactions may arise from venomous insect or spider bites, with effects ranging from mild symptoms to severe outcomes such as brain damage or death. Common forms of acute poisoning include ethanol intoxication and overdose of pain or fever medications, with substances like GHB and heroin being particularly lethal at doses close to...
216
Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions01:24

Drug Toxicity: Dose-Dependent Reactions

Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...
179
Types of Toxins01:36

Types of Toxins

Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...
4.0K