Acute delirium in bismuth poisoning
Mattle, H.; Henn, V.; Baumgartner, G.
Schweizerische Medizinische Wochenschrift 112(38): 1308-1311
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-7672 PMID: 7134955 Document Number: 192412
Typical clinical signs and symptoms of bismuth intoxication are illustrated in a cases of a 45-year-old woman. Initially psychasthenia appears followed by acute delirium with ataxia, myoclonic jerks and occasionally coma. If patients survive the acute phase they recover only gradually following discontinuation of bismuth medication. In cases of extreme intoxication, permanent memory deficits may occur. Etiology, pathogenesis, laboratory findings, differential diagnosis and therapy of this rare iatrogenic encephalopathy are discussed.