In the attempt to correlate clinical findings with serum levels of
aldrin, sixteen patients were followed-up after acute intoxication by this agent. Eight of them, males and females, aged from 1 to 37 years, presented no or light symptoms (some discomfort and
nausea). The serum of one of these patients was found to contain 16.6 ppb of
aldrin and that of another, 1.41 ppb of
dieldrin. A group of five patients, aged from two to 30 years, showed symptoms of moderate severity, reporting
nausea,
vomiting, drowsiness,
dyspnea, sweating, mild jerking, rise in blood pressure and convulsions. Of these cases, two were accidental and three were attempted suicides, the majority achieving complete recovery within 24 hours. Serum levels of
aldrin were between 6.98 ppb and 26.3 ppb and of
dieldrin between 82.00 and 314.18 ppb. We found three severe cases, aged from 21 to 35 years, two attempted suicides and one occupational case. Two of these patients died and one of them presented
hypothermia,
coma, absence of reflexes and generalized convulsions, and another presented
abdominal pain, paleness, sweating, cold extremities,
dyspnea,
hyperthermia and generalized convulsions. In the first one that died the serum levels were: of
aldrin 30.00 ppb and of
dieldrin 720 ppb. In the other levels of 747.3 ppb of
aldrin and 1,314.00 ppb of
dieldrin were found. The third had less serious symptoms and presented serum levels of
aldrin of 31.05 ppb and of
dieldrin 147.11 ppb.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)