A Case of Paraquat Poisoning Presenting With Spontaneous Pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum

Paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-dipyridylium) is a liquid herbicide associated with accidental and suicidal ingestion, leading to fatal toxicity. It can lead to multiple organ dysfunction, including metabolic acidosis, acute kidney and liver injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and acute respiratory d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2020-12, Vol.12 (12), p.e11943
Main Authors: Sahoo, Debananda, Kar, Nilanjan, Devi, Sujata, Dey, Anupam, Das, Dhriti Sundar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Emergency Medicine
Internal Medicine
Pulmonology
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Summary:Paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-dipyridylium) is a liquid herbicide associated with accidental and suicidal ingestion, leading to fatal toxicity. It can lead to multiple organ dysfunction, including metabolic acidosis, acute kidney and liver injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Very rarely, this can present with spontaneous pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum or both, which are poor prognostic markers with a mortality rate of almost 100%. Here, we present a young male presenting with paraquat poisoning followed by the development of both pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum and death from respiratory failure. Paraquat poisoning should always be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with spontaneous pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum in places with high paraquat poisoning prevalence.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.11943