[ OSH-Link Home
| IVI Online
| Comments ]
Case reports of two workers poisoned by methyl iodide (74884) (MI) during manufacturing were described. The first case involved a 59 year old man admitted to a hospital for cerebellar syndrome that appeared a few hours after MI preparation procedures. Air sampling was performed at the factory during decantation and transfer procedures; MI concentrations were as high as 143mg/m3. Clinical examination of the patient found tremor, ataxia, dysmetria, and incomplete left third cranial nerve palsy. His symptoms resolved over the next 3 weeks; he subsequently developed depressive ideation. He was reexposed several months later, developed similar symptoms, but was inaccessible for followup. The second case was a 42 year old worker who did not wear respiratory protective gear during decantation. Clinical examination revealed ataxia that resolved in 2 days, but he felt depressed. Three months later, he developed tingling of the lower extremities and ataxic gait. Double vision and slurred speech occurred 6 months thereafter and at 7 months, the patient suffered from pyramidal syndrome, cerebellar syndrome, incomplete bilateral third nerve palsy, and depression. When similar symptoms occurred 1 year later, MI was considered to be the cause. Subsequently, the worker's occupational procedures were changed to limit exposure risks. The authors conclude that both cases exemplify subacute MI poisoning, and since no treatment currently exists, preventive measures are necessary.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 30(6):759-764, 1996. (31 references)
You can do a search of the OSH-DB database and get a list of articles on any topic of interest on our Visitor Search Page. Access to read the articles is limited to OSH-DB subscribers.