Professional paper

Zinc phosphide poisoning

J. Frketić ; Zavod za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku Medicinskog fakulteta u Zagrebu
A. Magdić ; Zavod za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku Medicinskog fakulteta u Zagrebu
Z. Štajduhar-Djurić ; Zavod za sudsku medicinu i kriminalistiku Medicinskog fakulteta u Zagrebu

Abstract

11 fatal and 15 non-fatal cases of zinc phosphide poisoning are presented, most of them of suicidal origin. The following symptoms were observed: vomiting, abdominal cramps, coated tongue, thirst, the odour of breath resembling decayed fish or garlic. and in some cases mydriasis, accelerated and weakened pulse rate, decrease in blood pressure and temperature, cyanotic lips and bronchial rales. The patients died conscious, 30-40 hours after taking the poison. Postmortem examinations showed no characteristic findings: congestion, oedema of the lungs, the brain and leptomeninges; petechial hemorrhages (subepicardial, subpleural, and sometimes on the mucous membranes of stomach and small intestine; in a few cases fatty infiltration and degeneration of the liver and kidney, as well as fatty degeneration of the heart muscle and the endothelium of the brain capillaries. Zinc phosphide was always found in gastric juice even after vomiting and gastric lavage. A method is described for the qualitative analysis of phosphine in food and organs, and the results of the quantitative analysis of zinc are given.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

184183

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/184183

Publication date:

15.3.1957.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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