Neurotoxic disorders and medical management of patients poisoned with organophosphorus pesticides

• Main Authors: Jokanović Milan, Škrbić Ranko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medical Society of the Republic of Srpska, Banja Luka, University of Banja Luka. Faculty of Medicine 2012-01-01
• Series: Scripta Medica
• Subjects: organophosphorus pesticides; cholinergic syndrome; intermediate syndrome; chronic organophosphate-induced neuropsychiatric disorder; pyridinium oximes; atropine; acetylcholinesterase
• Online Access: https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2490-3329/2012/2490-33291202091J.pdf

In this article the neurotoxic disorders appearing in patients poisoned with organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) are reviewed. OPs cause four important neurotoxic effects in humans: the cholinergic syndrome, the intermediate syndrome, organophosphate-induced delayed polyneuropathy and chronic organophosphate-induced neuropsychiatric disorder. Compared to the cholinergic syndrome, that causes millions of cases of poisoning with fatality of more than 15% each year, other disorders involve much smaller number of patients. This article is focused on neurotoxic disorders appearing after acute and chronic exposure to OPs with emphasis on clinical presentation, molecular mechanisms and possibilities of medical treatment.