Oral Zinc Sulphate in Treatment of Patients with Thallium Poisoning: A Clinical Therapeutic Trial

In a clinical therapeutic trial conducted between February 2008 and February 2010, 37 patients with thallium poisoning were treated with oral zinc sulphate at a dosage of 5 mg/kg three times a day at the Dermatology Departments of Baghdad and Basrah Teaching Hospitals. The patients, aged between 5 and 33 years, exhibited dermatological symptoms similar to zinc deficiency, including anagen hair loss and a red dermatitis-like rash, as well as neurologic symptoms, primarily peripheral neuropathy, in 55% of the patients. Thallium in urine was confirmed using the colorimetric method. After diagnosis, 32 patients also received the thallium antidote Prussian blue. The study found that all but two patients responded well to zinc sulphate treatment within a few days, indicating that oral zinc sulphate is an effective and safe treatment for thallium poisoning, particularly for addressing skin and hair symptoms and in preventing the progression and complications of the poisoning.