A man presented with frank haematuria and a grossly prolonged prothrombin time. He was later found to have taken an overdose of difenacoum — a 'superwarfarin' rodenticide. The diagnosis was confirmed by a serum concentration of difenacoum of 0.6 μg ml-1. Overdosage with superwarfarins is discussed and the need for prolonged treatment with vitamin K1 highlighted.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Katona B. & Wason S.Superwarfarin poisoning. Journal of Emergency Medicine1989; 7: 627-31.
2.
Watts RG, Castleberry RP & Sadowski JAAccidental poisoning with a superwarfarin compound (brodifacoum) in a child . Paediatrics1990; 86: 883-7.
3.
Park BK, Choonara IA, Haynes BP et al. Abnormal vitamin K metabolism in the presence of normal clotting factor activity in factory workers exposed to 4-hydroxycoumarins. British Journal Clinical Pharmacology1986; 21: 289-94.
4.
Weitzel JN, Sadowski JA, Furie BC et al. Surreptitious ingestion of a long acting vitamin K antagonist/rodenticide, Brodifacoum: Clinical and metabolic studies of three cases. Blood1990; 76C: 2555-9.
5.
Barlow AM, Gay AL & Park BKDifenacoum (Neosorexa) poisoning. British Medical Journal1982; 285: 541.
