Paraquat poisoning: a case series of 15 survivors and narrative review

Paraquat (PQ) poisoning is a grave concern in developing countries due to its wide availability. Acute paraquat poisoning can have both systemic and local manifestations, with mortality rates that can reach as high as 90%; pulmonary complications and multiple organ dysfunction syndromes being major causes. This case series is a unique retrospective observational study of 15 survivors from South India.

The case series consists of 15 cases, with a mean age of 24.6 years (excluding outliers), that were alleged to have taken varying amounts of paraquat dichloride. Patients exhibited a diverse range of symptoms affecting multiple organ systems, with particular emphasis on kidney, liver, and lung function. Treatments included a combination of hemodialysis, targeted drug therapy in the form of N-acetyl cysteine, anti-inflammatory therapy with corticosteriods and symptomatic therapy. The case descriptions also include the details of the amount of paraquat allegedly ingested, the ingestion to hospitalization time, demographics, etc, that further help in determination of prognosis.

PQ can cause a variety of clinical signs and symptoms, including gastrointestinal, renal, hepatic, and pulmonary problems. Less commonly, it can also affect the neurological and cardiac systems. Treatment is mainly focused on reducing the effective PQ concentration in blood, as no antidote has been named till date. The paper also discusses the various treatments available, drugs and procedures, and their mechanisms. Also prognostic factors like age, amount, ingestion to hospitalization time, etc.

The study underlines the need for defined treatment protocols, prognostic factors, and enforcing restrictions on availability of this deadly poison.