Suicidal chloral hydrate poisoning

The cumulative reports of chlorate hydrate toxicity suggest an unacceptable risk for this commonly used sleep aid. A 29-year-old male was admitted after ingestion of 70 g of chloral hydrate. He was hypotensive and hypothermic. Spontaneous respiration was insufficient. Fluid resuscitation did not res...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of toxicology. Clinical toxicology Vol. 34; no. 1; p. 97
Main Authors Ludwigs, U, Divino Filho, J C, Magnusson, A, Berg, A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 1996
Subjects
Adult
Anesthetics, Intravenous - poisoning
Chloral Hydrate - poisoning
Hemoperfusion
Humans
Hypnotics and Sedatives - poisoning
Male
Renal Dialysis
Suicide, Attempted
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:The cumulative reports of chlorate hydrate toxicity suggest an unacceptable risk for this commonly used sleep aid. A 29-year-old male was admitted after ingestion of 70 g of chloral hydrate. He was hypotensive and hypothermic. Spontaneous respiration was insufficient. Fluid resuscitation did not restore adequate blood pressure levels. Low dose catecholamine infusion resulted in ventricular arrhythmias. The patient was treated with combined hemoperfusion and hemodialysis during an eight hour period. During this time, serum concentrations of trichlorethanol fell. Blood pressure and heart rate increased and consciousness was regained without signs of neurological deficits. Although outcome was favorable, this case report illustrates the potentially high acute toxicity of chloral hydrate and supports its removal from the market.
ISSN:0731-3810
DOI:10.3109/15563659609020241