You are tending to a teenage patient following a reported suicide attempt. The teen ingested rat poison and has diarrhea and severe vomiting which has resulted in hypovolemic shock. Outward signs include a strong odor of garlic on the patient's breath. Which of the following is the most likely action of the toxic substance in the rat poison resulting in the observed symptoms?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The garlic odor on the breath suggests arsenic poisoning, which inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase, leading to the symptoms observed.  Rat poison often contains arsenic compounds as the toxic agents. The arsenic ingested by this patient accounts for the smell of garlic on his breath. Arsenic inhibits glycolysis and the TCA cycle, in particular at the pyruvate dehydrogenase-catalyzed reaction.

You Are Tending to a Teenage Patient Following a Reported