Acute naphthalene poisoning following the non-accidental ingestion of mothballs

Ingestional naphthalene mothball poisoning leading to prolonged haemolysis and methaemoglobinaemia can present with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. A 19-year-old woman ingested 12 mothballs, and presented two days later with haemolysis and methaemoglobinaemia. She was treated with red blood c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSingapore medical journal Vol. 50; no. 8; p. e298
Main Authors Lim, H C, Poulose, V, Tan, H H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Singapore 01.08.2009
Subjects
Acetylcysteine - therapeutic use
Adult
Anemia, Hemolytic - diagnosis
Anemia, Hemolytic - etiology
Ascorbic Acid - therapeutic use
Erythrocyte Transfusion
Female
Hemolysis
Humans
Methemoglobinemia - diagnosis
Methylene Blue - therapeutic use
Naphthalenes - poisoning
Poisoning - therapy
Suicide, Attempted
Time Factors
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Ingestional naphthalene mothball poisoning leading to prolonged haemolysis and methaemoglobinaemia can present with diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. A 19-year-old woman ingested 12 mothballs, and presented two days later with haemolysis and methaemoglobinaemia. She was treated with red blood cell transfusions, intravenous methylene blue, N-acetylcysteine and ascorbic acid. Continuous venovenous haemofiltration was conducted for 45 hours. Haemolysis with anaemia and methaemoglobinaemia persisted even after five days post-ingestion. Clinical and biochemical parameters improved. We describe a case of ingestional naphthalene poisoning with a good outcome after treatment.
ISSN:0037-5675