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Intermediate myasthenia syndrome following acute organophosphates poisoning-an analysis of 21 cases

Institute of Occupational Medicine, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 29 Nan Wei Road, Beijing 100050, China

Haibing Xu

Institute of Occupational Medicine, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 29 Nan Wei Road, Beijing 100050, China

Fukuang Qin

Tengzhou Central People's Hospital, Shandong, China

Li Xu

Institute of Occupational Medicine, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 29 Nan Wei Road, Beijing 100050, China

Jinxiang Huang

Tengzhou Central People's Hospital, Shandong, China

Xiwen He

Institute of Occupational Medicine, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, 29 Nan Wei Road, Beijing 100050, China

1 Twenty-one cases out of 272 patients of acute organophosphates poisoning were diagnosed as intermediate syndrome (IMS) with a prevalence at 7.7%. The responsible OP insecticides included parathion, omethoate and some OP containing pesticide mixtures. IMS occurred mainly in severe OP poisoning patients who recovered from the acute cholinergic crisis at 7-75 h after the onset of acute poisoning.

2 Muscular weakness appeared in the following three categories of muscles: (1) neck flexors and proximal limb muscles; (2) muscles innervated by motor cranial nerves and/or (3) respiratory muscles. Blood acetylcholinesterase activity was persistently inhibited. Electroneuromyography (ENMG) with repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) at frequencies of 20 Hz or 30 Hz in seven patients showed decrements of common muscle action potentials during the presence of myasthenia in five patients and became normal when their muscle strength recovered.

3 Mild IMS recovered within 2-7 days and had a favorable prognosis. Severe IMS patients with respiratory paralysis needed immediate endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation. Recovery of weakness of the respiratory muscles and proximal limb muscles took longer, the slowest being 30 days. Four of the patients died of respiratory paralysis and the fatality rate was 19%.

4 The mechanism of IMS remains to be further investigated. The RNS/ENMG changes indicate a post-synaptic block at the neuromuscular junctions.

5 In order to promote the recognition of this syndrome, we proposed to name the syndrome as Intermediate Myasthenia Syndrome (IMS).

Key Words: organophosphates poisoning • intermediate syndrome • myasthenia

Human & Experimental Toxicology, Vol. 17, No. 1, 40-45 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/096032719801700107


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