ACUTE ARSENIC POISONING - ABSENCE OF POLYNEUROPATHY AFTER TREATMENT WITH 2,3-DIMERCAPTOPROPANESULPHONATE (DMPS)

Two men aged 19 and 21 years ingested Ig and 4 g respectively from 3 k g of a white crystalline powder that they thought was a substance of a buse. It was later identified as almost pure arsenic trioxide. Both ha d nausea and vomiting and one developed acute renal failure. Each was treated with 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulphonate (DMPS), and made a full r ecovery with no evidence of prolonged renal or neurological impairment . The DMPS-arsenic complex is probably associated with lower penetrati on into the CNS and as a consequence treatment with DMPS may result in lower acute and chronic neurotoxicity than treatment with the current ly standard recommended chelating agent;dimercaprol (British Anti-Lewi site; BAL).