Sharjah: There is no antidote for poisoning from aluminium phosphide, an agricultural pesticide, according to a senior doctor from Al Qasimi Hospital. In the first week of July, the aluminium phosphide from the illegal toxic pesticide called Phostoxin/P Hostoxin resulted in the death of an Iraqi girl from Sharjah.
The girl and the family were admitted to Al Qasimi Hospital.
One of the doctors handling the poisoning cases, Dr Khalid Khalfan Bin Sabt, paediatric surgery consultant and deputy technical director told Gulf News that aluminium phosphide is a cheap, effective and commonly used pesticide that is used to kill rodents and pests in grain storage facilities.
“It is produced in Iran, Pakistan and China. Two years ago Dubai banned the use of the product. Unfortunately, it is one of the most common causes of poisoning. The toxicity affects the cardiac and vascular tissues. After ingestion, toxic features usually develop within a few minutes. There is no antidote, only management towards treatment, which involves reducing poison levels in tissues and restoring circulation,” he said.
If severe inhalation occurs, the patient may develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), heart failure, arrhythmias, convulsion and coma. Late manifestation include liver and kidney toxicities. Aluminium phosphide is more dangerous than the use of the narcotic substances, he added
