Two-year-old saved from lethal paraquat poisoning at SAT Hospital in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram

Published 31 July 2026 · health

A two-year-old from Kanyakumari who accidentally ingested paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide, has been given a new lease on life through intensive management at SAT

A two-year-old from Kanyakumari who accidentally ingested paraquat, a highly toxic herbicide, has been given a new lease on life through intensive management at SAT Hospital here. Paraquat poisoning is regarded as one of the most lethal forms of pesticide poisoning that doctors may encounter in clinical practice as it can cause complications and death within hours of its ingestion. Even a very small amount can be fatal in young children, especially a two-year-old who weighs just 10 kg. What makes it difficult to treat paraquat poisoning is the fact that there is no specific antidote for this poison. It causes painful ulcers in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract, causes acute kidney, liver injury early and causes inflammation in the lungs leading to irreversible pulmonary scarring. Treatment therefore focusses on removing the poison from the body as quickly as possible, protecting organ function, and providing necessary intensive care.

Haemoperfusion “The parents were able to bring the child here in six hours, which is what made all the difference. They had no idea how much of the poison the child had ingested. Renal failure had set in and we had no other option but to opt for haemoperfusion to clear the toxin from the blood. In a child as young as two years, extracorporeal treatments (wherein blood is drawn out from the body to remove toxins) can be quite tricky because of their small blood volume and the risk of complications. But this was a do or die situation. We had to do three rounds of haemoperfusion over three days to fully clear the toxins and we are extremely glad that the child pulled through,” a senior consultant at the hospital said.

She said that it was a race against time because once paraquat accumulates in the lungs and other tissues, clearing the toxin would be difficult. She said that plenty of organophosphorus poisoning cases are seen at SAT Hospital but this was the first time paraquat poisoning was being managed by clinicians here. “The challenge was to procure consumables and purification cartridges for haemoperfusion that was suitable for a young child. The cartridges are expensive too, with a fresh one required for each round. Thankfully, these could all be managed,” she added. Fully recovered The child, who was admitted on June 29, has now fully recovered. One of the doctors remembers fondly the joy in the child’s face when he was first allowed to have a sip of water after the critical period was over.