John Vinoj, Gogul, Shanmughasundaram, Pooja
Organophosphorus poisoning is one of the leading causes for suicidal deaths among the rural population of India. Serum cholinesterase is being used as a marker to assess the severity of OPC poisoning. Nowadays, serum amylase is being proposed for the same purpose due to its ready availability. The present study was carried out to estimate the serum amylase levels in organophosphorus poisoning patients and to correlate it with the clinical outcome of the patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Emergency ward of Kanyakumari Government Medical College, Asaripallam during the period from September 2017 to October 2018. A total of 80 patients were included in the study after fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Serum amylase levels were estimated at the time of admission and 48 hours after treatment. RESULTS In organophosphorus poisoning patients, serum amylase level was found to be significantly elevated at the time of admission (262.6 U/L). The mean amylase value was 374.5 U/L for the dead patients and 150.7 U/L for the live patients. These values were statistically significant with p<0.01. The severity of increase in serum amylase was directly proportional to the risk of developing respiratory failure and prolonged stay in the hospital. CONCLUSION Serum amylase can be used as a biochemical marker for organophosphorus intoxication and to predict the clinical outcome of the patients, since it enables early recognition of the risk of developing respiratory failure.
