Multi-Organ Failure due to Paraquat Poisoning: Case Report and Review of Literature

Background: Paraquat is a herbicide that is used widely. Several voluntary and accidental paraquat poisoning have been reported in recent years. Gastrointestinal absorption of paraquat is rapid. Systemic effects include pulmonary injury, heart failure, acute renal failure and hepatic failure. Metabolic acidosis results from multi-organ failure. Due to these systemic effects, paraquat poisoning is associated with high rate of morbidity and mortality. Case presentation: A 34-year old man has been referred from a nearby town to our educational hospital with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, jaundice, and decreased level of consciousness since 12 hours ago. In his history, he declared that he had drunk a glass of green colored herbicide 2 days ago as a suicidal attempt. Four hours after ingestion, he was brought to a regional hospital by family and after 24 hours of observation, he was discharged. He was symptom free during the observation. His clinical features and laboratory results on arrival to our hospital revealed multi-organ failure. Despite aggressive supportive treatment , he died at the second day of admission. Conclusion: this case report emphasizes on the importance of early admission and treatment of paraquat poisonings, regardless of symptoms, to save the patient's life. Many supportive treatments must be carried out for these patients.