Pathogenic characteristics and treatment in 43 cases of acute colchicine poisoning

Abstract Colchicine poisoning is complicated and has a high mortality rate. The aim of this study was to identify the pathogenic characteristics of colchicine poisoning cases and to propose a comprehensive treatment procedure. A total of 43 patients were divided into survival (n = 32) and death groups (n = 11) according to prognosis. The clinical data (basic information, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, examination results, therapeutic schedule, response evaluation, and prognosis) were analyzed, and the comprehensive treatment was proposed. The ingestion doses were ≤0.5, 0.5–0.8, and ≥0.8 mg/kg, and the survival rates were 100, 83.33, and 28.60%. The causes of death were cardiovascular and bone marrow hematopoietic failures. We found that the order of organ damage was digestive tract, coagulation, muscle, heart, hematopoietic, lung, liver, and kidney, while the recovery order was digestive tract, coagulation, heart, hematopoietic, lung, muscle, kidney, and liver. Different doses of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and recombinant human thrombopoietin can shorten the severity and duration of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Plasma exchange combined with continuous veno-venous hemodialysis filtration treatment can increase survival time. The prognosis is positively correlated with the dose. Early removal of toxicants from the digestive tract and blood is essential. It is vital to give comprehensive treatment of multiple organ injuries， include the use of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, recombinant human thrombopoietin, plasma exchange, and continuous veno-venous hemodialysis filtration.