No abstract

In this paper four patients are presented who had been poisoned by 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The first patient, aged 51 years, had attempted to commit suicide by taking orally 400 ml of a 40% solution of 2,4-D. He was admitted in a coma, 6.5 h after poisoning. Extracorporal hemodialysis was performed and the course of the illness was satisfactory. The second patient, aged 80 years, had accidentally drunk 100 ml of a 40% solution of 2,4-D. He was admitted in a coma a few hours after poisoning. Hemodialysis and resin hemoperfusion were performed and the course of the illness was satisfactory. Prior to the above therapy the patient had a 2,4-D serum concentration of 177 mg/100 ml. 2,4-D clearance was 56.3 ml/min during this therapy. The third patient, aged 24 years, had drunk 200 ml of a 40% solution of 2,4-D in a suicide attempt, and paraquat poisoning was also suspected. He was admitted 10 h after poisoning and immediately hemodialysis and hemoperfusion were carried out: the course of the illness was satisfactory. On admittance the concentration of 2,4-D in serum was 122.5 mg/100 ml, and clearance was 72.9 ml/min during treatment. The fourth patient, aged 50 years, had accidentally drunk 100-200 ml of a 40% solution of 2,4-D. He was admitted in a coma 3 h after poisoning. Hemodialysis was performed and the course of the illness was satisfactory. On admittance the concentration of 2,4-D in serum was 37 mg/100 ml and clearance was 68.7 ml/min.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The aim of this study was to estimate the amount of depleted uranium (DU) in the respiratory system of Allied Forces Gulf War Veterans. Mass spectrometry (thermal ionization mass spectrometry) analysis of 24-hour urinary excretion of DU isotopes in five positive (238U/235U > 191.00) and six negative (238U/235U > 138.25) veterans was utilized in the mathematical estimation of the pulmonary burden at the time of exposure. A minimum value for the biological half-life of ceramic DU oxide in the lungs was derived from the Battelle report of the minimum dissolution half-time in simulated interstitial lung fluid corresponding to 3.85 years. The average DU concentration was 3.27 x 10(-5) mg per 24 hours in DU-positive veterans and 1.46 x 10(-8) mg in DU-negative veterans. The estimated lung burden was 0.34 mg in the DU-positive and 0.00015 mg in the DU-negative veterans. Our results provide evidence that the pulmonary concentration of DU at time zero can be quantitated as late as 9 years after inhalational exposure.