Thallium Intoxication Treated with Combined Hemoperfusion-Hemodialysis

Abstract

A 32-year-old woman who ingested thallium sulfate was treated with combined hemoperfusion-hemodialysis. Classical therapy, including Prussian Blue, was also administered. The clearance rate of the hemoperfusion and hemodialysis were 139 and 47 mL/ min, respectively. The efficiencies of these different methods were compared with each other and with the classical methods. It was concluded that hemoperfusion was the most efficient technique in extracting thallium sulfate. The combined hemoperfusionhemodialysis procedure is proposed for the treatment of severe intoxications with thallium sulfate.

Thallium intoxication occurs rather frequently. The beneficial effects of gastric lavage in the early hours and the use of Prussian Blue [1] are well known. In recent years more attention has been paid to the use of the aritifical kidney, mostly in combination with the earlier described methods. We present a case of thallium intoxication treated with a combination of hemoperfusion (HP) and hemodialysis (HD).