A cardiac lesion secondary to paraquat
Póvoa, R.; Maciel, F.M.; Orlando, J.M.; Póvoa, E.F.; Honsi, E.; Kasinski, N.; Ferreira, C.; Szynkier, R.
Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia 59(2): 95-98
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0066-782X PMID: 1341165 Document Number: 396882
To evaluate cardiac alterations secondary to exogenous intoxication by paraquat. We performed analysis of clinical and laboratory data of 25 patients with acute paraquat poisoning admitted in our ICU from November 1983 to January 1991. There were purposeful overdoses in 24 cases (96%). The mortality rate was 56%. The lung involvement was 96%, renal was 92%, gastrointestinal tract was 72%, hepatic was 56%, and cardiac involvement was 40%. Cardiac involvement due to paraquat is frequent (40%). The clinical picture of this involvement has a wide spectrum, ranging from minimal changes in the ECG to acute and extensive myocardial necrosis.