Clin Exp Emerg Med.  2017 Dec;4(4):254-257. 10.15441/ceem.15.056.

A fatal case of acute bentazone overdose despite cricothyroidotomy during cardiopulmonary resuscitation

• Lee K

• KMID: 2401237
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15441/ceem.15.056

Abstract

Bentazone is classified as a moderately hazardous (class II) herbicide by the World Health Organization. A 53-year-old Korean woman was transferred to the emergency department after a suicide attempt using approximately 500 mL of bentazone one hour prior to admission. Upon admission, she was alert and tachycardia of 125/min was observed. She was treated with gastric lavage and activated charcoal, during which she experienced diarrhea. Two hours after bentazone ingestion, cardiac arrest and muscle rigidity throughout the body occurred. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately started. Endotracheal intubation after administration of a muscle relaxant (succinylcholine) was unsuccessful because of temporomandibular joint muscle rigidity. Surgical cricothyroidotomy was performed by the emergency physician, but the patient was not resuscitated. For cardiac arrest patients with muscle rigidity caused by bentazone overdose, endotracheal intubation may be challenging because of muscle rigidity, despite appropriate use of muscle relaxants. Early surgical cricothyroidotomy may be the preferred method of airway management in these patients.

Keyword

Bentazone; Drug overdose; Fatal outcome

MeSH Terms

Airway Management
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation*
Charcoal
Diarrhea
Drug Overdose
Eating
Emergencies
Emergency Service, Hospital
Fatal Outcome
Female
Gastric Lavage
Heart Arrest
Humans
Intubation, Intratracheal
Methods
Middle Aged
Muscle Rigidity
Suicide
Tachycardia
Temporomandibular Joint
World Health Organization
Charcoal