Aluminum phosphide (ALP) is an agricultural pesticide that is used worldwide to kill pests and rodents. It is effective and cheap pesticide that make it readily available especially in developing countries. Its global attention arises from the fact that poisoning in cases of deliberate or accidental exposures leads to high mortality rate, as there is not efficient and definite antidote, thus, current treatments yield no reasonable results. This is why researches are encouraged and supported at the national levels to find a way to establish an effective treatment strategy.

Accordingly, governments have focused on the prevention of toxic exposures to decline unfavorable outcomes, yet data demonstrate continuing aluminum phosphide poisonings. Prohibiting sale to the public and increasing public awareness about this hazardous pesticide rendered limited results and the poison can still be purchased illegally on the black market and in traditional medicinal shops and this is the reason why physicians still encounter this poisoning commonly in emergency departments. Even so, a suggested substitution has been the non- toxic formulation Banan, nevertheless, current evidence unfortunately, does not show a link between its use and a decline in fatal exposures. It appears these preventive strategies still need to be employed and expanded in vulnerable groups.

To now, scientific researches to produce an effective antidote have not had good practical results. In fact, metabolic disturbances and their resultant adverse outcomes are believed to originate from direct cellular toxicity caused by toxic gases produced during poisoning (phosphine and diphosphine). The poison takes its actions in the cells and drugs have not been able to reverse its actions effectively.  Therefore, the researchers have recently offered new initiatives for more effective treatment of poisoned patients by means of the basic theory of’ attenuating and eliminating of toxic agent and blocking its local injuries’. The researchers hope implementing the new interventions reduce mortality rate substantially and help scientists reach a global consensus for establishing effective treatment of patients suffering aluminum phosphide poisoning event.

Dr. Seyed Mostafa Mirakbari
Assistant Professor, Bu Ali Hospital, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences

Publication

Proposal for a new mechanism of action for aluminum phosphide (ALP) for causing local injuries in ALP poisoning: Should treatment strategies be modified?
Mirakbari SM.
Hum Exp Toxicol. 2015 Nov 30

Read offline:     

Related Articles:

	Am I at risk of developing diabetes if exposed to… The answer is: it depends. Of course, there is no trivial answer to an open question like that when referring to scientific investigation. But we can make you think better…
	Mortality risk among cocaine users after and before… This study targeted residents in northern Italy who turned to a public treatment centre for primary cocaine use between 1982 and 2016. Its aims were to estimate mortality risk, and…
	2-in-1: A new strategy against Parkinson´s Disease Parkinson´s disease is a neurological disorder, which affects around 6 mio people worldwide, a number being expected to double within the next 20 years. It is characterized by a progressive…
	Waking a sleeping giant: How increasing Africa's… Africa is home to 1.4 billion people, of whom 55 million suffer from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Despite this, Africa contributes to only 1.7% of the world’s cardiovascular science. We studied…
	Unlocking new treatments for bone diseases: using… Despite appearances, bones are a constantly changing organ in the body. Cells that produce new bone (named osteoblasts) and cells that break down bone (named osteoclasts) work in harmony to…
	Why do some people self-harm under distress? Harvard… Self-harm, or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), refers to people intentionally hurting themselves without intending suicide. Common examples include cutting, burning, or hitting oneself. A growing number of adolescents and young adults…