Organic solvent-induced bipolar disorder: a case report.

Many studies have reported neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms, including a significantly increased risk of depression and suicide, from exposure to low to moderate levels of organic solvents. However, few studies have reported a link between organic solvent exposure and bipolar disorder. The authors present a case of a 43-y-old man who developed new-onset bipolar disorder following exposure to organic solvents in a textile printing plant. The man had elevated blood levels of several common solvents. His symptoms abated following avoidance of solvent exposures at his workplace and after nutritional and sauna detoxification treatments that one of the authors formulated to clear xenobiotics. Following avoidance and detoxification, the patient's blood concentrations of organic solvents fell to undetectable levels and his manic symptoms disappeared, with no significant recurrences over the past 13 y, as evaluated by the authors and his other physicians.

Mis-swallowing of cleaning naphtha: report of three cases.

Cleaning naphtha, a product of Chinese Petroleum Corporation, is a complex hydrocarbon mixture which contains mainly aliphatic hydrocarbons. It is used as a cleaning fluid and solvent. Three toddlers mis-swallowed a mouth of cleaning naphtha accidentally. One developed multiple organ failure before death, another completely recovered without sequelae, and the other died very soon after mis-swallowing. Two fatal cases were both induced vomiting with aspiration immediately after mis-swallowing by their parents. Therefore, inducing vomiting should not be encouraged especially at home, and prevention of aspiration is very important in the management of such cases.

Toxicology of petroleum naphtha distillate vapors.

A unique opportunity was presented to observe the potentially toxic effects of an acute exposure to the vapors of petroleum naphtha distillate on a relatively large number of individuals. The immediate manifestation in all was dyspnea. The action on motor vehicle combustion suggested that some of this could have been due to oxygen deprivation; however, all individuals were dyspneic for several minutes after exposure. A few were cyanotic for several minutes after exposure. All were excited. Tremulousness and mild nausea followed the initial symptoms but were of brief duration. One individual manifested numerous premature ventricular contractions. Since his exposure was brief and since none of the others showed similar findings, it is unlikely that the exposure was causal. The central nervous system depression described in acute exposure cases of the intact (not distillate) petroleum naphtha fumes was not observed in any of this series. There were no delayed manifestations or complications.