Research: Self-poisoning in Sri Lanka

2 December 2005

Wellcome Trust-funded researchers have collected the largest set of data on herbicide self-poisoning in Sri Lanka.

Self-poisoning is a major cause of ill health and death in Sri Lanka. In rural areas, herbicides and pesticides are readily available and are commonly used in suicide attempts. Wellcome Trust fellow Michael Eddleston and colleagues in Australia and Sri Lanka are involved in a major programme to document the extent of the problem, the physiological effects of toxin consumption and possible ways to reduce the number of cases.

Information about poisoning with the herbicide MCPA (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid) is scarce – just six case reports. In recent work, Eddleston and colleagues analysed a further 181 cases. Most people suffered fairly mild symptoms such as stomach upsets, but a small proportion (4.4 per cent) died suddenly from cardiac arrest within 48 hours of admission. This much larger sample provides valuable information to inform clinical management of patients in Sri Lankan hospitals.

External links

• Roberts DM et al. Intentional self-poisoning with the chlorophenoxy herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA). Ann Emerg Med 2005;46(3):275–84.