Diagnosis and treatment of organotin poisoned patients.

Background: With the development of industry and agriculture, organotin compounds have been widely used in China. Organotin compounds cause a common occupational poisoning. The toxicity of organotin was reported in animal studies; however the reports about human organotin intoxication are very rare. In this study we retrospectively analyzed the clinical manifestations of 15 organotin-poisoned patients who had been treated at our hospital from 2002 through 2007.

Methods: Fifteen patients with organotin poisoning were admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine from 2002 to 2007. They were 9 males and 6 females, aged from 25 to 52 years. Clinical manifestations and Glasgow Coma Scales showed that the poisoning was mild in 4 patients, moderate in 6 and severe in 5. The severe patients were given glucocorticoid after hospitalization by intravenous guttae of 500 mg methylprednisolone for the first day, followed by 160 mg methylprednisolone per day for three days, and then 80 mg methylprednisolone per day for another three days. Potassium glutamate and sodium glutamate were intravenously dripped to reduce blood ammonia; intravenous guttae plus oral administration of potassium 9 g/day was used to correct intractable hypokalemia; sodium bicarbonate was used to correct metabolic acidosis, and sedatives were used to control spasm and twitch; mechanical ventilators were used in 4 patients with dyspnea.

Results: Most of the patients showed elevated level of blood ammonia, decreased level of blood potassium and metabolic acidosis, but some had demyelination changes shown by CT and MRI. Treatments included correction of metabolic acids, blood potassium and ammonia, and mechanical ventilation when necessary. For patients with injuries of the nervous system, glucocorticoids were given immediately after hospitalization. These patients showed intractable hypokalemia and metabolic acidosis during the treatment. Forteen patients recovered completely without long-term side-effect. One patient in the aphasiac stage restored the linguistic capacity during a 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions: Elevated level of blood ammonia, decresed level of blood potassium, and metabolic acidosis are common in patients with organotin poisoning. Demyelination can be observed in patients with severe poisoning. The abnormalities of the patients are reversible after suitable treatments.