Lipoid pneumonia following attempted suicide by intravenous injection of lamp oil

Background: Pneumonic complications after intoxication with mineral oils ha ve been described before it) the contents of accidental aspiration and oral ingestion. However, intoxication following an intravenous injection leadin g to a lipoid pneumonia after an attempted suicide is a rare finding. Case Report: A case report is presented of an attempted suicide by intraven ously self-injection of 20 ml lamp oil (liquid paraffin). Immediately after injection the patient suffered From dry coughing which changed in the cour se of the next hours into a productive cough with whit(: thick MUCOUS sputu m accompanied by hemoptysis. Additionally, lie developed a mild disseminate d intravascular Coagulation with a Call of thrombocytes, all I NP, of 1.6 a nd a rise of D-dimeres. Under a therapy with hydrocortisone, ascorbic acid, ambroxol, acetylcysteine, heparin, antibiotics an oxygen, the patient impr oved without the need of mechanical ventilation. Initially seen signs of ri ght heart dilatation diminished 3 days after onset of therapy. Apart from p ulmonal manifestation no relevant organ damage was observed. The patient wa s discharged from the intensive care Unit 9 days after intoxication and was submitted to psychiatric therapy. Conclusion: Lipoid pneumonia caused by intoxication with a mineral oil is a severe disease, whereas in the presented case a relative bland course of t he disease has-been seen. The employed therapy in this patient might be enc ouraging for a comparable treatment of pneumological complications resultin g from similar Clinical pictures.