Evaluation of corticosteroid and exchange-transfusion treatment of acute yellow-phosphorus intoxication

Abstract To evaluate steroid therapy in patients acutely intoxicated with yellow phosphorus, 49 patients were sequentially assigned to one of three groups. Group A did not receive steroids at any time, Group B received steroids from the time of admission, and steroids were used in Group C only when liver coma developed. Two out of four patients in coma recovered in Group A, none out of five in Group B, and four out of seven in Group C. Thus, steroids did not appear to prevent onset of coma in this type of liver injury and did not increase survival after development of coma. In another group of 44 patients similarly intoxicated, deep hepatic encephalopathy developed in 15. Five of these were given exchange transfusions, with two deaths and three survivals. Of the 10 not given exchange transfusions, seven died, and three survived.