[Acute poisoning by insecticides with anticholinesterase activity. Evaluation of the efficacy of a cholinesterase reactivator, pralidoxime].

Pralidoxime is the most frequently used antidote in anticholinesterase insecticide poisoning, owing to its cholinesterase reactivating action. The efficiency of Pralidoxime has been retrospectively evaluated by comparing two groups of 31 patients, the first one treated by Pralidoxime in the most commonly used doses (1200mg/24H), the second one untreated. Age, sex and nature of poison were taken in consideration to make a matched distribution in both groups. The clinical and biological initial features were nearly the same in both groups; the other therapeutic measures were the same. There was no statistical difference between the both groups for evolutive criteria such as that mortality, duration of artificial ventilation, intubation, atropine administration, decrease in plasma cholinesterase. The results pleading against the use of Pralidoxime, at least at this dose, in anticholinesterase insecticide poisoning, warrant confirmation by prospective randomized studies. The efficiency of Pralidoxime warrants confirmation firstly in the course of poisonings by some clearly identified insecticides, to which pralidoxime is supposed to be the most effective, cater used in high doses, as recommended by some authors.