Pentachlorophenol poisoning in a nursery for newborn infants. II. Epidemiologic and toxicologic studies

In the period from April through August, 1967, 20 newborn infants in a small hospital developed an unusual illness characterized by profuse, generalized diaphoresis, fever, tachycardia, tachypnea, hepatomegaly, and acidosis. Nine of these infants were severely ill and 2 died. Toxic levels of pentachlorphenol were found in the serum from one patient and autopsy tissues from another. Epidemiologic studies indicated the illness arose only after 5 or more days of hospitalization. Review of hospital practices disclosed that the laundry was misusing a laundry product which contained sodium pentachlorophenate, the sodium salt of pentachlorophenol. High concentrations of this chemical were found in the nursery linens, which provided a source for the percutaneous absorption of sodium pentachlorophenate.