Symptoms of organophosphorus pesticide poisoning

1. Acute poisoning

Clinical manifestations can be divided into four categories:

(1) Muscarinic symptoms: can appear in the early stage, mainly manifested as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, salivation, sweating, blurred vision, miosis, increased respiratory secretions, and pulmonary edema in severe cases.

(2) Nicotine-like symptoms: when the condition worsens, there will be a sense of tightness in the whole body, slurred speech, tremors of the chest, upper limbs, face and neck, and even the whole body muscle bundles, chest compression, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory paralysis in severe cases.

(3) Central nervous system symptoms: dizziness, headache, fatigue, restlessness, ataxia, coma and convulsions in severe cases, often life-threatening due to respiratory center or respiratory muscle paralysis.

(4) Delayed neuropathy: Generally, 8 to 14 days after the symptoms of acute poisoning are relieved, sensory disturbance occurs, followed by weakness of lower extremities, until flaccid paralysis of distal lower extremities. In severe cases, upper extremities may be involved, mostly bilateral.

2. Chronic poisoning

More common in pesticide factory workers. The prominent performance is neurasthenic syndrome and decreased cholinesterase activity. Some organophosphorus pesticides can cause bronchial asthma, allergic dermatitis and contact dermatitis.