Question
A 22-year-old farmer was brought to the casualty with symptoms of nausea, vomiting,
severe abdominal pain, lacrimation, salivation, blurring of vision, muscular twitches and
weakness. He was suspected to have consumed Organo-phosphorous compound.
(a) Outline the management of this poisoning 2 mark(s)
(b) Discuss the mechanism of action and rationale for using the specific antidotes 4 mark(s)
Q2 6 marks Essays ★ ✓
Answer
a) Management
Remove from the contaminated area, remove and discard contaminated clothing, decontaminate skin (soap and water) to halt continued absorption
Maintain airway, breathing, circulation — suction secretions, give oxygen, ventilatory support if needed
Administer specific antidotes (atropine, pralidoxime) promptly, titrated to response
Continuous monitoring of vitals, pupil size, and secretions to guide ongoing dosing
b) Mechanism of action and rationale for specific antidotes
Organophosphates irreversibly inhibit acetylcholinesterase, causing accumulation of acetylcholine at both muscarinic and nicotinic synapses — producing the muscarinic toxidrome (salivation, lacrimation, bronchorrhoea, bronchospasm, GI hyperactivity, miosis) and nicotinic effects (muscle fasciculations progressing to weakness/paralysis, as seen here).
Atropine — competitively blocks muscarinic receptors, reversing bronchorrhoea, bronchospasm, salivation, and GI hyperactivity; titrated to effect (drying of secretions) and often requires large repeated doses. Does not reverse nicotinic effects (muscle weakness) since it has no action at nicotinic receptors.
Pralidoxime (2-PAM) — a cholinesterase reactivator; it displaces the organophosphate from the active site of acetylcholinesterase, regenerating functional enzyme and reversing both muscarinic and nicotinic effects (including the muscle weakness atropine cannot address), but only if given before the enzyme-organophosphate complex “ages” (becomes irreversibly bound) — most effective when given early, alongside atropine, not as a substitute for it.
1 Cholinergic System
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