Two-year-old saved from lethal paraquat poisoning at SAT Hospital in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram
A two-year-old child in Kerala survived lethal paraquat poisoning after receiving intensive care, including haemoperfusion, at SAT Hospital. This marks a rare and successful clinical intervention for a highly toxic herbicide with no known antidote.
Why it matters
Paraquat is a highly dangerous pesticide, and this case demonstrates the critical importance of rapid medical intervention in pediatric toxicology.
A two-year-old from Kanyakumari who accidentally ingested paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide, has been given a new lease on life through intensive management at SAT Hospital here.
Paraquat poisoning is regarded as one of the most lethal forms of pesticide poisoning that doctors may encounter in clinical practice as it can cause complications and death within hours of its ingestion. Even a very small amount can be fatal in young children, especially a two-year-old who weighs just 10 kg.
What makes it difficult to treat paraquat poisoning is the fact that there is no specific antidote for this poison. It causes painful ulcers in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract, causes acute kidney, liver injury early and causes inflammation in the lungs leading to irreversible pulmonary scarring.
Treatment therefore focusses on removing the poison from the body as quickly as possible, protecting organ function, and providing necessary intensive care.
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