Saturday 1 June 2013

Emedinews:Insights on Medicolegal issues:What are the organophosphorous poisons?


They are derived from phosphoric acids and form two series of compounds known as alkyl phosphates and aryl phosphates.

  • These are basically chemical insecticides and used to prevent agricultural products but when ingested by humans adversely affect health or may become life–threatening.
  • Fatal dose: TEPP 50 mg IM or 100 mg orally/OMPA 80 mg IM or 175 mg orally/Parathion 80 mg IM or 175 mg orally/HETP 60 mg IM or 350 mg orally/Malathion and diazinon 1g orally
  • The fatal period is usually within 24 hours in untreated cases and within 10 days in those treated cases when treatment is not successful. In non–fatal cases, the acute effect lasts for 6 to 30 hours which disappear in 2 to 3 days but may sometime persist for 2 weeks. Complete recovery occurs in 10 days in patients treated early.
  • Atropine is the antidote.
  • Cause of death is by paralysis of respiratory muscles, respiratory arrests due to failure of respiratory centre or intense bronchi constriction resulting in respiratory failure.

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