Death Related to the Dehumidifying Agent.

Chung, Yu Mi; Kim, Hye Jeong; Park, Jae Hong; Yang, Kyung Moo

doi:2016.40.4.133

Korean J Leg Med > Volume 40(4); 2016 > Article

Case Report

Korean Journal of Legal Medicine 2016;40(4):133-137.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7580/kjlm.2016.40.4.133 Published online November 30, 2016.

Death Related to the Dehumidifying Agent.

Yu Mi Chung, Hye Jeong Kim, Jae Hong Park, Kyung Moo Yang

¹Department of Pathology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
²Medical Examiner's Office, National Forensic Service, Wonju, Korea. kaito-kid@hanmail.net
³Department of Forensic Investigation, National Forensic Service Seoul Institute, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

Dehumidifying agents are commonly used to remove moisture and odors and are not meant for oral ingestion. The hazards of accidental oral ingestion of dehumidifying agents are not well known. A 31-year-old man with autism drank the liquid desiccant contained in the barrel of a dehumidifier while sleepwalking. The desiccant mainly consisted of calcium chloride. He was taken to the emergency center with persistent vomiting and underwent gastric lavage. The patient was treated for hypercalcemia due to calcium chloride poisoning. He eventually died of multiple organ failure. Autopsy findings were as follows: acute suppurative pneumonia, intra-abdominal inflammation, liver necrosis, acute pancreatitis, and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Calcium chloride has relatively low toxicity; however, when ingested orally, it can cause severe internal damage, and even death. We suggest active preventive measures to ensure the safe use of dehumidifying agents.

Key Words: Calcium chloride, Hypercalcemia, Silica gel, Autopsy