Fatal Paraquat-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in a Young Adult: A Case Report
1 Pulmonology and critical care, Faculty of Medical Science, Lebanese University, Beirut, LBN.
2 Pulmonology and critical care, Rafic Hariri University Hospital, Beirut, LBN.
3 Pulmonology and critical care, Hôpital Libanais Geitaoui - CHU, Beirut, LBN.
Case Report
Open Access Research Journal of Medical and Clinical Case Reports, 2025, 03(01), 016-021.
Article DOI: 10.53022/oarjmccr.2025.3.1.0027
Publication history:
Received on 05 September 2025; revised on 15 October 2025; accepted on 17 October 2025
Abstract:
Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide that can cause fatal pulmonary fibrosis even with small ingestions. We report a 35-year-old male with a history of depression and previous suicide attempt who presented with gastrointestinal symptoms after ingesting 20 mL of concentrated Paraquat. Despite intensive care measures including hemodialysis, corticosteroids, and supportive therapy, he developed progressive respiratory failure due to worsening pulmonary fibrosis and died on hospital day 51. This case underscores the severity of Paraquat poisoning and the limited effectiveness of available treatments, highlighting the importance of early recognition, the need for novel biomarkers denoting severity, and the combination of supportive care with extracorporeal detoxification modalities in managing such cases.
Keywords:
Paraquat Poisoning; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Acute Kidney Injury; Respiratory Failure
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Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0