Pediatric Fatality from Gun Bluing Solution: The Need for a Chemical Equivalent of the One-Pill-Can-Kill List†
Chulathida Chomchai MD*, Thanakorn Sirisamut MSc*, Uraiwan Silpasupagornwong MSc**
Affiliation : † Presented as a short case in the lecture entitled “Unique Poisonings in Developing Country” at the Asian Congress of Emergency Medicine meeting at Centara Grand Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand on July 3rd, 2011 * Mahidol University International College, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakorn Pathom, Thailand ** Department of Pharmacy, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
Gun bluing solution is commonly used to polish guns and prevent rusting. The authors report a case of a 2-year- old boy who inadvertently ingested approximately 15 ml of his father’s Fox Gun Blue solution. The patient subsequently developed acidosis, hypotension, and coma. He died within four hours after ingestion. His plasma selenium level was 857 ng/ml. A brief review of other reported ingestion of gun bluing liquid in both adults and children is also included.
Keywords : Gun Blue, Selenius acid, Fatal ingestion
