The Study of Clinical Features of Organophosphorus Poisoning in Indian Society

Abstract

RESEARCH QUESTIONWhat are the clinical features of organophosphorus poisoning? DESIGN Prospective study; Interview technique. SAMPLE SIZEA total of 41 cases of OP poisoning were studied. Muscarinic, Nicotinic, and CNS symptoms according to duration and amount of poisoning are observed in observation. RESULTIn this study, those patients who were admitted to our side with complaint of poisoning within 12 hours, muscarinic symptoms of organophosphate poisoning like miosis and pulmonary oedema were present in 100%, salivation was present in 85.7%, sweating was present in 71.4%, and nicotinic symptoms of organophosphate poisoning like neuromuscular paralysis was present in 4.7%. In those patients who were admitted with complaint of organophosphate poisoning more than 12 hours, nicotinic symptoms like fasciculations was present in 15% and neuromuscular paralysis was present in 20%. In CNS symptoms, tremors was present in 4.8% of patients admitted with complaint of poisoning within 12 hours and in 15% of patients admitted with complaints of poisoning more than 12 hours. In those patients who were admitted with complaint of poisoning of more than 5 grams of the substance, muscarinic symptoms like miosis was present in 85.7%, pulmonary oedema was present in 100%, salivation was present in 71.4%, and sweating was present in 42.9%. CNS symptoms like tremor was present in 14.3% of patients admitted with complaint of poisoning of more than 5 grams of the substance as compared to 0% in those who were admitted with complaint of poisoning of less than 5 grams of the substance suggesting that incidence of CNS symptoms (Tremor) among poisoning patient was more in those patients who have taken more amount of organophosphate substance.