Eighteen cases exposed to sarin in Matsumoto, Japan

Forty-six patients who were exposed to sarin consulted our hospital because of darkness of vision, and ocular pain, vomiting, dyspnea and headaches on June 27 and 28, 1994. Eighteen patients were admitted and 4 of them were in the critical state. There were 6 features: 1) depression of plasma cholinesterase activity (17 of 18 patients, 94%), 2) hypokalemia (4/18, 22%), 3) depression of triglyceride (12/18, 67%), 4) hypocapnia (5/17, 29%), 5) partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) <80 mmHg, or requirement of O2 inhalation (15/18, 83%), 6) white blood cells (WBC) >9,000 per mm3 (13/18, 72%). Seventeen patients were discharged from hospital, but one patient is still suffering from akinetic mutism after two years.