News

In a review of the literature on pre-clinical and clinical trials evaluating cyanide antidotes, Hall et al. categorised them by their benefit to risk ratio.

From the Pacific coast, the Sacramento Bee tells us that bamboo can be a hazardous plant.

In the « gardening » section of the St Petersburg Times, we learn that cooking Chaya (literally “Spinach Tree”) can produce cyanide poisoning.

In October 2009, the Yaakyi river, a tributary of the Subri river in Ghana, was polluted following the accidental discharge of sodium cyanide into the water.

The division of Toxicology and emergency Center of Taiwan reported the case of a 32 year old woman found comatose after she drunk a non alcoholic beverage. She was intubated and transported to hospital.

Hydroxocobalamin is an analogue of vitamin B12 and is an approved therapy for cyanide poisoning.It is an endogenous vitamin B₁₂precursor (B_12a) that binds cyanide to form cyanocobalamin (vitamin B₁₂) and restoring mitochondrialfunction. Ithas a greater affinity for cyanide than cytochrome oxidase. 

On the 4^th of October 2009, officials reported the leak of cyanide into a 50 kilometer length of the river Trent in Staffordshire, UK. The origin of the leak was not immediately determined.

Smoke inhalation from house fires is a frequent cause of fatalities. According to an article published in the online journal www.emsresponders, firefighters know that most fatalities in house and building fires are the result of smoke inhalation.

A European survey entitled “Risk of Cyanide poisoning in smoke inhalation” (RISK : Risk of cyanide poisoning in smoke Inhalation, Symptoms, Key treatment and outcome) is going to be implemented in several European countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Sweden). Prof. F.Baud (Paris, France) is the Survey Coordinator.

Hydroxocobalamin (OHCbl) is a dark-red analogue of vitamin B-12. It is used as an antidote for cyanide poisoning. Hydroxocobalamin converts cyanide into a non-toxic form, cyanocobalamin, and is excreted in the urine. Dosages of 2.5 to 10 gm injections are approved as an antidote for cyanide poisoning patients.

FJ Baud, a world authority on cyanide poisoning from smoke inhalation and its treatment, has written a review on the need to differentiate carbon monoxide poisoning and cyanide poisoning.

Cyanide poisoning is a major source of morbidity and mortality in patients exposed to smoke from building fires (1). Smoke inhalation is the most common cause of cyanide poisoning. Fires in structures produce hydrogen cyanide gas in smoke as a result of the combustion of building materials (wallboard, wood, insulation materials, furnishings), natural products (wool, silk, cotton, paper, wood) or synthetic products (nylon, rubber, plastics, adhesives, resins, etc.). Improved outcome in survivors of fires requires thorough understanding of the toxic syndrome associated with cyanide poisoning (1).

Konzo disease (known as“mantakassa”in northern Mozambique) is an epidemic paralytic disease associated with subacute poisoning by cyanide found in insufficiently processed cassava. The name “Konzo” means "bound legs" in the Yaka language and correctly describes the typical hypertonic gait of those affected.