Is there a role for digoxin in the management of acute aluminum phosphide poisoning?

Reducing the risk of death induced by aluminum phosphide poisoning: The new therapies

Numerous people suffer from accidental or deliberate exposure to different pesticides when poisoning with aluminum phosphate (AlP) is increasing in the eastern countries. Aluminum phosphate is a conventional insecticide that quickly reacts with water or the moistures in the atmosphere and produces fatal phosphine gas, which absorbs quickly by the body. Oral consumption or inhalation of AlP leads to excessive reaction of the body such as fatigue, vomiting, fever, palpitation, vasodilatory shock, increasing blood pressure, cardiac dysfunction, pulmonary congestion, shortness of breath, and death. The garlic smell from the patient's mouth or exhale is one of the methods to recognize the positioning. Due to the lack of individual antidotes, several supportive treatments are required. The present study focused on the available and new therapies that help reduce the effect of AlP poisoning and the mortality rate. The therapies are divided into the antioxidant-related agent and the other agents. The impacts of each agent on the experimental cases are reported.

Thoughts on the current management of acute aluminum phosphide toxicity and proposals for therapy: An Evidence-based review

The majority of aluminum phosphide (ALP) toxicity cases are suicidal attempts. Despite advances in critical care medicine, the mortality rate of ALP remains very high. Unfortunately, knowledge on the toxicokinetics of ALP is very low. An obsolete idea was proposed that inhibition of complex IV of cytochrome C oxidase is responsible for multiorgan dysfunction. However, based on human studies, this effect might be insignificant. Thus, a novel idea proposes that the main mechanism might be vascular wall integrity disruption. The low frequency of acute toxicity and unanswered questions about the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics has led to leaden advances of novel treatments. The aim of this review was to evaluate problems regarding current treatment protocols and propose new ideas based on updated information. For this purpose, we reviewed all available articles on the management of ALP poisoning published to date. Considering failure of conventional therapies on maintaining systolic blood pressure, correcting acid-base disturbances, and support cardiac function, the previous treatment protocols have been overruled. However, repudiate of conventional treatments in this deadly condition is not without penalties for the health-care provider. The introduction of new therapies including refuse of gastric lavage with water-soluble compounds, administration of a high molecular weight colloidal solution for fluid resuscitation and termination using sodium bicarbonate, and vasoactive agents has been prospected to improve patient survival. This protocol is in early clinical evaluation; nevertheless, it appears to improve patient's survival; hence, future randomized trials should be performed to support their effectiveness.

Aluminium phosphide-induced genetic and oxidative damages in vitro: attenuation by Laurus nobilis L. leaf extract

Objective:

The present investigation was undertaken to assess the protective effect of Laurus nobilis leaf extract (LNE) against aluminum phosphide (AIP)-induced genotoxic and oxidative damages stress in cultured human blood cells in the presence of a metabolic activator (S9 mix).

Materials and Methods:

Sister chromatid exchange (SCE) and chromosome aberration (CA) assays were used to assess AlP-induced genotoxicity and to establish the protective effects of LNE. In addition, we determined total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative status (TOS) levels in AlP and LNE treated cultures for biomonitoring the oxidative alterations.

Results:

There was significant increases (P < 0.05) in both SCE and CA frequencies of cultures treated with AlP as compared to controls. Our results also showed that AlP (58 mg/l) caused oxidative stress by altering TAC and TOS levels. However, co-application of LNE (25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/l) and AlP resulted in decreases of SCE, CA rates and TOS level and increases of TAC level as compared to the group treated with AlP alone.

Conclusion:

The preventive role of LNE in alleviating AlP-induced DNA and oxidative damages was indicated for the first time in the present study.

Use of continuous renal replacement therapy in acute aluminum phosphide poisoning: a novel therapy

Aluminum phosphide is most common cause of poisoning in northern India. There is no specific antidote available and management of such cases is mainly supportive with high mortality. We present two cases of severe acute aluminium phosphide poisoning where continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) was started early along with other resuscitative measures and both the patients survived.

A systematic review of aluminium phosphide poisoning

Every year, about 300,000 people die because of pesticide poisoning worldwide. The most common pesticide agents are organophosphates and phosphides, aluminium phosphide (AlP) in particular. AlP is known as a suicide poison that can easily be bought and has no effective antidote. Its toxicity results from the release of phosphine gas as the tablet gets into contact with moisture. Phosphine gas primarily affects the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys. Poisoning signs and symptoms include nausea, vomiting, restlessness, abdominal pain, palpitation, refractory shock, cardiac arrhythmias, pulmonary oedema, dyspnoea, cyanosis, and sensory alterations. Diagnosis is based on clinical suspicion, positive silver nitrate paper test to phosphine, and gastric aspirate and viscera biochemistry. Treatment includes early gastric lavage with potassium permanganate or a combination with coconut oil and sodium bicarbonate, administration of charcoal, and palliative care. Specific therapy includes intravenous magnesium sulphate and oral coconut oil. Moreover, acidosis can be treated with early intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate, cardiogenic shock with fluid, vasopresor, and refractory cardiogenic shock with intra-aortic baloon pump or digoxin. Trimetazidine may also have a useful role in the treatment, because it can stop ventricular ectopic beats and bigeminy and preserve oxidative metabolism. This article reviews the epidemiological, toxicological, and clinical/pathological aspects of AlP poisoning and its management.