Chelating capacity and the adverse effects of two treatments (N-acetylcysteine and D-penicillamine) in patients with mercury poisoning in Segovia, a municipality at the northeastern part of Antioquia, Colombia

RESUMEN: OBJECTIVE: to compare the chelating capacity and the adverse effects of treatments with either Nacetylcysteine or D-penicillamine in patients with mercury poisoning in Segovia, a municipality at the northeastern part of Antioquia, Colombia. METHODS: 50 patients with toxic levels of mercury were enrolled in a 10 days open label, randomized comparison of either D-penicillamine (750 mg/day) or Nacetilcysteine (1.8 g/day). Patients were followed on a daily basis to assess the elimination of mercury in urine and the frequency of adverse effects of each treatment. RESULTS: 32 patients completed 10 days of drug treatment. Averages of mercury elimination in 24 hours urine, before and after treatment with D-penicillamine and N-acetylcysteine, were not different (211.96 mcg ± 190 and 262.15 mcg ± 305 and 232.85 mcg ± 248 and 218.65 mcg ± 240, respectively, P > 0.05 for all comparisons). Evaluation of the frequency of adverse effects showed a significant difference between the two groups: D-penicillamine (50%) and N-acetylcysteine (11%) p = 0.0079. CONCLUSION: this study did not reveal any significant differences between the chelating capacity of Dpenicillamine and N-acetylcysteine in patients with mercury poisoning, from a mining population at the northeastern part of Antioquia, Colombia. However, there were significantly less adverse effects with the Nacetylcysteine treatment.

• Autores: Molina Castaño, Carlos Federico; Suárez Bermúdez, Ana María; Arroyave, Claudia Lucía; Cuesta González, Fanny; Maldonado, Natalia
• Tipo de recurso: Article of investigation
• Fecha de publicación: 2008
• Institución: Universidad de Antioquia
• Repositorio: Repositorio UdeA
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:bibliotecadigital.udea.edu.co:10495/38427
• Acceso en línea: https://hdl.handle.net/10495/38427
• Palabra clave: Efectos Colaterales y Reacciones Adversas Relacionados con Medicamentos; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Acetilcisteína; Acetylcysteine; Penicilamina; Penicillamine; Intoxicación por Mercurio; Mercury Poisoning; https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D064420; https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D000111; https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D010396; https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D008630
• Rights: openAccess
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/co/