Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Poisoning with equine phenylbutazone in a racetrack worker.
- Journal:
- Annals of emergency medicine
- Year:
- 1991
- Authors:
- Newton, T A & Rose, S R
- Affiliation:
- University of Florida Health Science Center · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 24-year-old man who worked at a racetrack accidentally took a large amount of phenylbutazone, a strong anti-inflammatory drug usually given to horses, to help with his toothache. After taking 17 grams over a day, he experienced serious health issues including seizures, coma, low blood pressure, trouble breathing, kidney failure, and liver damage. Tests showed very high levels of the drug in his blood. Thankfully, after six weeks of intensive care and several rounds of dialysis to help his body recover, he was able to get better.
Abstract
Phenylbutazone is a potent nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drug often used by veterinarians to treat racetrack animals. Its use in human beings is limited because of significant adverse effects and the availability of newer, safer drugs. We report the case of a 24-year-old man who ingested 17 g of equine phenylbutazone over a 24-hour period to treat the pain of a toothache. He developed grand mal seizures, coma, hypotension, respiratory and renal failure, and hepatic injury. Serum phenylbutazone concentration obtained approximately eight hours after presentation was 900 micrograms/mL. The patient recovered during six weeks of intensive supportive care and repeated hemodialysis.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1996808/