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Avermectin intoxication with coma, myoclonus, and polyneuropathy.

Sung YF, Huang CT, Fan CK, Lin CH, Lin SP

Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. sungyf@ndmctsgh.edu.tw

INTRODUCTION: Avermectin has been used in the control of parasites and insects. Severe poisoning symptoms in humans include altered mental status, hypotension, and respiratory failure. CASE REPORT: We describe a case of acute avermectin intoxication at a very high dose (414.2 mg/kg) who presented with coma, myoclonus, and polyneuropathy after oral ingestion. DISCUSSION: The symptoms are supposed to be associated directly with the avermectin poisoning and possibly with the toxicity of solvents or other additives. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case with avermectin poisoning associated with myoclonus and polyneuropathy in the literature.

Published 11 August 2009 in Clin Toxicol (Phila), 47(7): 686-8.
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