Single-Center Experience With Paraquat Exposure in Nine Patients

Paraquat dichloride is a widely used, highly toxic chemical herbicide and a significant cause of fatal poisonings. Toxicity is thought to be secondary to generation of reactive oxygen species. Hours after exposure, patients may experience signs and symptoms ranging from nausea to multisystem organ failure. To mitigate complications and death, immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide and corticosteroid-based therapies has shown to be an effective option in limited studies. Our objective is to report our center's experience treating patients that had been exposed to paraquat over a 2-day period. Patients were identified using our Institutional Burn Center registry and linked to the clinical and administrative data. Demographics, length of stay (LOS), costs, and mortality were evaluated. There were nine patients admitted from the exposure. All were male. All survived. Eight were undocumented migrant farmers. The average age was 36 years (25-59 years). The average LOS was 3.3 days (2-5 days). Seventy-eight percent had cutaneous injury, but only one required debridement and placement of a skin substitute. Thirty-three percent complained of continued shortness of breath after discharge. Average total hospital cost was $28,131 ($9,500-$51,000). Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide and exposure can be fatal if not treated promptly. Immediate decontamination and repeated pulse therapy with cyclophosphamide and methylprednisolone may be life-saving.