Management of Yellow Phosphorus-Induced Acute Liver Failure: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Abstract

Three percent (3%) of yellow phosphorus is the active component of the rodenticide Ratol ® . It is a potent hepatotoxin that leads to acute liver failure (ALF) with high mortality. There is no antidote available; the only definitive management is liver transplantation. Therapeutic plasma exchange, or plasmapheresis, appears to help these patients by removing the toxin, its metabolite, or the inflammatory mediators released in the body in response to the toxin. Here, we report a case of a 19-year-old male with an alleged history of Ratol ® ingestion and ALF with acute kidney injury. He had a complete reversal of his condition with timely intervention in the form of plasmapheresis.