1Department
of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of
Medicine, 2Isfahan Clinical Toxicology
Research Center, 3Noor General Teaching
Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences,
Isfahan, Iran.
Purpose:
The present study was conducted to determine the effect
of vitamins C and E administration on the outcome of
therapy in patients with paraquat intoxication admitted
in the Poisoning Emergency Department (PED) of Noor
Teaching General Hospital, Isfahan, Iran.
Methods:
We studied retrospectively medical records of 186
patients admitted to the PED in two different study
periods: 157 patients were evaluated from 1985 to 2001
(first study period) in which patients received
conventional treatment protocol consisting of fluid
replacement, oral absorbents, haemodialysis, etc, Also,
29 other patients were assessed from 2001 to 2005
(second study period) in which vitamins C and E had been
administered to the patients, in addition to the
conventional protocol. The patients' mortality rate
after the first study period was compared to that of the
second one, with regard to the impact of the additional
therapeutic intervention (use of antioxidant vitamins).
Results:
Most of the patients (40.5 %) had ingested more than 20
mL of 20 % paraquat solution
and were
admitted to the hospital during the first 4 h after
exposure. Paraquat poisoning was more common in men
(76.6 %), young adults in the age group 19 - 34 (47 %)
and during summer (43.3 %). Mean (± SE) length of
hospital stay was 62.6 ± 15.6 h. Overall mortality rates
were 31 and 55.2 % in the first and second periods,
respectively.
Conclusion:
Although the addition of antioxidants (vitamins C and E)
to the conventional therapy did not reduce the mortality
rate, other dependent variables including different
doses of antioxidants may be considered for future
studies.
Keywords:
Paraquat poisoning,
Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Outcome
