Do Not Drink From Unknown Content From Bottles At Home. Organophosphate Methamidophos Intoxication: Four Case Reports

Abstract

Introduction: Methamidophos is a pesticide. It is widely used in agriculture. Safe storage of pesticides is one of the main issues of agricultural societies. Here, we report four cases of family members who unknowingly consumed pesticide that was stored in a water bottle. Emergency must be on the alert for intoxication. Case Report: We report four cases from the same family with similar complaints admitted to the emergency room. Case one: A 3-year-old boy suffering from cough and shortness of breath, diagnosed as bronchiolitis. A short time after hospitalization, he had cardiopulmonary arrest but responded to resuscitation. His physical examination revealed miosis and hypersecretion. In the meantime, his elder sister was brought to the ER with similar symptoms. Their father and the police were sent to the home to search for possible intoxication. The father noticed an unpleasant smell after he drank from a water bottle. The father and grandmother, who also drank water from the same bottle, received treatment for intoxication. Methamidophos was detected with water analysis. Conclusion: Intoxication cases should be evaluated extensively in the emergency room. The patient's home place must be examined and prevented for further intoxication cases. We believe that education about safe storage of pesticides will reduce this kind of accident.