The authors measured the serum cholinesterase activity, by Rappaport method, on 31 healthy persons and 24 patients with agricultural pesticides poisoning admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine, Won Ju Christian Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine from May to October, 1976.
The results obtained were as follows.
1. The serum ChE activity in 31 normal persons was 80.7±12.9(mean±S.D.) RU/ml ranging 52~104 RU/ml without difference in sexes.
2. The initial serum ChE activity of 18 patients with organophosphate poisoning was 6.6±5.0 RU/ml with the range of 0~13 RU/ml, showing significant inhibition compared to that of normal control.
3. The serum ChE activity of 6 patients with organophosphate poisoning, discharged within the 3rd hospital day, was 8.3±4.8 RU/m1, i. e. inspite of clinical improvement, the serum ChE activity showed no significant recovery within 3 days of exposure.
4. The serum ChE activity of 7 patients with organophosphate poisoning improved gradually from the 3rd hospital day, and recovered to 48.0±17.5 RU/ml on the average 8th hospital day.
5. The serum ChE activities of 6 patients with non organophosphate poisoning were within normal limits.
Based on the above findings, the authors concluded that the determination of the serum ChE activity was valuable for the diagnosis, estimation of severity and evaluation of therapeutic effects of organophosphate poisoning as well as differential diagnosis of nonorganophosphate poisoning.
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