Deliberate Ingestion of Potassium Salt of Fatty Acids an Organic Pesticide Leading to Airway Compromise-A Case Report

Abstract

Kerala is named as the suicide capital of India and it is notorious for consumption of organophosphates. There has been a paradigm shift in the trend of different poisons consumed. One such trend we have seen in our centre is depicted by the following case report. Organic pesticide soaps or soap salts are commonly potassium salts of fatty acids and are made from natural substances. Potassium salt of fatty acids are used as insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Generally, it is marketed as safe but, it has corrosive properties in high doses. We present a 54 year old female presented to our Emergency department following consumption of a commercial brand of potassium salt of fatty acid. She was managed similar to that of acute corrosive poisoning. There has been no prior reports documented of having consumed soap salts.