JIST

Abstract

Pesticide poisoning, which occurs due to occupational, accidental, and intentional exposure, is a serious public health issue. However, it has been reported that deliberate self-poisoning by pesticides causes a higher mortality rate. Gammaxene or gamma benzene hexachloride (BHC) is commonly used as an ant killer. On oral ingestion in humans, it causes vomiting, agitation, confusion, and seizures. Here we report the case of a 25-year-old male patient admitted to the hospital with complaints of vomiting and throat pain after attempting suicide by consuming gammaxene. After 32 hours, the patient developed seizures. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigation showed superior sagittal vein thrombosis. He was treated with phenytoin. His condition stabilized immediately after the administration of phenytoin. He was discharged after three days and put on maintenance therapy of levetiracetam. The patient was healthy and stable on follow-up after a week.