A Suicide Attempt: Deltamethrin Intoxication

Poisoning is a frequent cause of emergency department visits, with attempted suicide accounting for up to two-thirds of all fatalities from pesticide poisoning. Despite extensive pyrethroid use worldwide, relatively few cases of human poisoning have been reported in the literature. Although most pesticide use occurs in the developed world, 99% of all acute pesticide poisoning occurs in developing countries. Deltamethrin poisoning is uncommon, with fewer than 10 deaths reported following ingestion or occupational exposure. The present case report describes deltamethrin intoxication due to intentional oral ingestion in a suicide attempt, resulting in a life-threatening combination of seizures and coma due to non-convulsive status epilepticus. LEARNING POINTS: Up to two-thirds of all fatalities from pesticide poisoning are due to suicide. Organophosphate or organochloride poisoning can mimic pyrethroid poisoning. Poisoning with deltamethrin, which belongs to the pyrethroid family, is uncommon; there is no antidote, with supportive and symptom-directed treatment being the gold standard.