Pulmonary Complications of Ingestion of the Herbicide Paraquat: A Case Report

A man hospitalized several hours after ingesting the herbicide paraquat presented with nausea, abdominal cramps, and retching. Because paraquat is known to injure the lung in a manner similar to pulmonary oxygen toxicity, the patient was started on therapy to remove paraquat from his body and reduce its damaging effects. Although the patient experienced moderate hypoxemia, impaired diffusion capacity, and pulmonary infiltrates, he completely recovered 60 days after ingestion. Prompt therapy to remove paraquat from the body and to buffer its toxic effects seems to be essential in preventing severe lung damage and death.