Acute fluoride poisoning leading to fatal hyperkalemia

Marked peaking of the T waves later recognized as being due to hyperkalemia was noted in a patient with acute fluoride intoxication before developing refractory ventricular fibrillation. Such T wave changes have not been previously described in fluoride intoxication and should alert one to the presence of hyperkalemia complicating this condition, the presence of which may herald the onset of lethal ventricular arrhythmias.