aluminium phosphide
aluminium phosphide
A pesticide used to fumigate stored grains and rodenticide. Poisoning is more common in farming communities; it is a popular and effective agent for committing suicide in India and Iran. When ingested, it reacts with gastric HCl releasing 1 g of phosphine (10 times its lethal dose), causing death in two hours.Clinical features
Cardiovascular—arrhythmia, myocarditis, myocardial infarction, hypotensive shock, respiratory distress; GI—epigastric pain, pancreatitis, diarrhoea, vomiting; metabolic effects/chemical pathology—metabolic acidosis, hypercalcaemia, hypomagnesaemia, convulsions, liver failure, kidney failure.
Pathogenesis
Vascular damage, RBC membrane damage, cytochrome oxidase inhibition with mitochondrial dysfunction, end-organ hypoxia.
Mechanism
Generates phosphine gas (PH3) in contact with water.
Mortality
High.