A Case of Cyanide Poisoning and the Use of Arterial Blood Gas Analysis to Direct Therapy

Abstract

Cyanide poisoning is a difficult diagnosis for health care professionals. Existing reports clearly demonstrate that the initial diagnosis is often missed in surreptitious cases. The signs and symptoms can mimic numerous other disease processes. We report a case in which a suicidal patient ingested cyanide and was found unresponsive by 2 laboratory coworkers. The coworkers employed cardiopulmonary resuscitation with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The suicidal patient died shortly after arrival to the hospital, while the 2 coworkers who performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation presented with signs and symptoms that mimicked early cyanide toxicity but were instead due to acute stress response. An arterial blood gas analysis may help aid in the diagnosis of cyanide toxicity. Electrocardiographic findings in a patient with cyanide poisoning range significantly, depending on the stage of the poisoning.

Keywords:

• cyanide
• electrocardiogram
• metabolic acidosis
• poison
• toxicology