Intravenous detergent poisoning

Abstract

In the literature regarding surfactant poisoning, the route of exposure has almost always been oral. We report a case in which about 40 mL of bath detergent for home use was self-injected. The primary pathophysiologic effects were relative hypovolemia and cardiac dysfunction. The patient experienced frequent ventricular tachycardia, acute renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, hemolysis, and coagulation dysfunction. Intensive care included the administration of antiarrythmial agents and hemodialysis. The patient survived and was discharged from our hospital without sequelae.