Efficacy of deferoxamine on paraquat poisoning.

Huh, Jin Won; Jegal, Yangjin; Hong, Sang Bum; Oh, Yeon Mok; Shim, Tae Sun; Lim, Chae Man; Lee, Sang Do; Kim, Woo Sung; Kim, Dong Soon; Kim, Won Dong; Koh, Younsuck

doi:2007.62.2.113

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 62(2); 2007 > Article

Original Article

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2007;62(2):113-118.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2007.62.2.113 Published online February 1, 2007.

Efficacy of deferoxamine on paraquat poisoning.

Jin Won Huh, Yangjin Jegal, Sang Bum Hong, Yeon Mok Oh, Tae Sun Shim, Chae Man Lim, Sang Do Lee, Woo Sung Kim, Dong Soon Kim, Won Dong Kim, Younsuck Koh

¹Department of Internal Medicine Inje University, Korea.
²Department of Internal Medicine University of Ulsan, Korea.
³Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Asan Medical Center University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. yskoh@amc.seoul.kr

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Paraquat is known to induce oxidant injury that results in multiorgan failure and lung fibrosis. Iron has been considered to play a key role in paraquat-induced oxidant lung injury. This study examined the effect of deferoxamine, an iron-chelating agent, in the treatment of paraquat poisoning. METHODS: From September, 2001 to April, 2005, 28 patients with paraquat poisoning who were admitted at a medical intensive care unit of a University-affiliated hospital, were enrolled in this study. Sixteen patients were treated according to the paraquat poisoning treatment guidelines and 12 received an intravenous infusion of deferoxamine in addition to the treatment guidelines. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender, severity of paraquat poisoning, and the time elapsed from ingestion to presentation at hospital. There was no difference in overall mortality between the two groups but the incidence of respiratory failure in the deferoxamine group was higher than in the conventional group(4/7 versus 0/9, p=0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Deferoxamine seems to have no clinical benefit compared with the conventional treatment.

Key Words: Paraquat, Deferoxamine, Mortality