J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol.  2011 Jun;9(1):34-38.

Corrosive Injury Due to Edible Vinegar

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine Korea University, Seoul, Korea. kuedlee@korea.ac.kr

Abstract

Vinegar is a very popular ingredient used in many cuisines. It is also known for its beneficial health, beauty and possible weight-loss properties. The authors report on a patient who presented to the emergency department with unstable vital signs complaining of generalized abdominal pain after ingestion of 450 ml of apple cider vinegar. We documented a case of corrosive gastrointestinal injury with persistent metabolic acidosis occurring after ingesting apple cider vinegar with an acetic acid concentration of 12~14%. Toxic damage to the liver and kidney were also observed, peaking on post-ingestion day 3. The patient received supportive care and hemoperfusion for three days without much clinical improvement and died in the seventh day of intensive care due to disseminated intravascular coagulation and multi organ failure. Edible vinegar, when taken in large amounts, is capable of inducing corrosive injuries of the GI tract as well as severe systemic toxicities, such as metabolic acidosis. Safety precautions regarding vinegar deserve more public attention and clinicians also should be astute enough to recognize the potential damage accompanying vinegar ingestion.

Keyword

Vinegar; Intoxication; Corrosive injury; Metabolic acidosis

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Acetic Acid
Acidosis
Beauty
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Eating
Emergencies
Gastrointestinal Tract
Hemoperfusion
Humans
Critical Care
Kidney
Liver
Vital Signs
Acetic Acid
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