An Agromedicine Program Consulting
Physician (APCP) conferred with Dr. Schuman regarding a 30-year-old farmer who
became ill while spraying a cotton field. The farmer had been spraying PIX®
(mepiquat chloride), a bioregulator that improves yield, and Baythroid®
(cyfluthrin), a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide.
While spraying the chemicals, a light
breeze caused the spray to drift back onto the farmer and his spray rig. The farmer became nauseated and vomited shortly
after inhaling the spray. His lips swelled. He also became dizzy and was
disoriented. He was able to return to his home where his wife immediately
telephoned the physician for assistance.
The farmer’s symptoms were consistent
with an acute anaphylactoid reaction to the synthetic pyrethroid insecticide.
Pyrethroids are synthetic analogues to pyrethrins, which are the active
ingredients of pyrethrum derived from the chrysanthemum. “Hypersensitivity reactions
(to pyrethrins) are not rare. Symptoms range from allergic rhinitis,
conjunctivitis, and dermatitis to anaphylactic shock requiring emergency treatment.”1
In addition to giving the APCP a toll
free telephone number for the medical consultant of the insecticide’s producer,
Dr. Schuman recommended antihistamines and steroids. Referral to an allergist
was also advised.
1Schuman SH and Simpson
WM. AG-MED: The rural practitioner’s guide to agromedicine, diagnosis and
management at a glance. American Academy of Family Physicians, 1997.
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY MEDICINE – DIVISION OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC SERVICE
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 171 ASHLEY AVENUE, CHARLESTON, SC 29425-2217