The Nursing Care of Paraquat Poisoning

Abstract

Paraquat is a herbicide of great toxicological importance. Paraquat causes great damage to human organs through destruction of kidney, liver and lung function. Especially in the lung, it can cause lung fibrosis with hypoxia and respiratory failure, one of the major causes of death in patient. The after oral administration of paraquat, the paraquat is quickly absorbed gastrointestinal mucosa, blood circulation and actively, for transported into cells, lung is its main target organ. Paraquat triggers the alveolar interstitial infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells, which causes acute lung injury in the early stage and results in lung fibrosis in the advanced stage, so it is the main cause of death of patients. Paraquat accumulates selectively in lung tissue and lung injury is exacerbated by administration of oxygen therapy. Liver and kidney damage in patients can jointly lead to multiple organ failure.

Paraquat poisoning is an emerging problem, because the mortality rate of patients with severe paraquat poisoning is extremely high. There is currently no specific treatment and there no specific antidote for paraquat poisoning. The nursing care for paraquat are early assessment, early gastric lavage, oral administration of activated charcoal, excretion of paraquate accelerated by early hemoperfusion, and the applications of immunosuppressive agents and conventional antioxidants, according to the treatment plan. Including early psychological care, early nutrition support, respiratory care and monitor of liver, kidney function, etc.

Above mentioned the nursing care of paraquat poisoning is largely supportive and aimed to removing paraquat from the site of absorption. Increasing its excretion from blood and preventing pulmonary damage. The author recommends the government should seriously push a policy to ban on paraquat which will effectively lower poisoning death rates.