A Rare Case of Suicide by Ingestion of Phorate: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

Montana, Angelo and Rapisarda, Venerando and Esposito, Massimiliano and Amico, Francesco and Cocimano, Giuseppe and Nunno, Nunzio Di and Ledda, Caterina and Salerno, Monica (2021) A Rare Case of Suicide by Ingestion of Phorate: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature. Healthcare, 9 (2). p. 131. ISSN 2227-9032

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Abstract

Phorate is a systemic organophosphorus pesticide (OP) that acts by inhibiting cholinesterases. Recent studies have reported that long-term low/moderate exposure to OP could be correlated with impaired cardiovascular and pulmonary function and other neurological effects. A 70-year-old farmer died after an intention ingestion of a granular powder mixed with water. He was employed on a farm for over 50 years producing fruit and vegetables, and for about 20 years, he had also applied pesticides. In the last 15 years, he used phorate predominantly. The Phorate concentration detected in gastric contents was 3.29 µg/mL. Chronic exposure to phorate is experimentally studied by histopathological changes observed in the kidney. In the light of current literature, our case confirms that there is an association between renal damage and chronic exposure to phorate in a subject exposed for years to the pesticide. Autopsies and toxicological analyses play a key role in the reconstruction of the dynamics, including the cause of the death.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Journal Eprints > Medical Science
Depositing User: Managing Editor
Date Deposited: 07 Feb 2023 07:59
Last Modified: 19 Jun 2024 11:44
URI: http://repository.journal4submission.com/id/eprint/713

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