Background
: Paraquat has been widely used as an herbicide in Korea since 1970. Ingestion of this drug results with high mortality rate(70%~90%), therefore we performed its clinical pathophysiologic and therapeutic analysis with review of other reports.

Methods : We experienced 21 patients with paraquat poisoning from May, 1989 until Dec, 1990 and analyzed this group into as follows : 1) sex ratio, age distribution, and ingestion amount 2) major clinical symptoms & signs, physical findings and laboratory findings 3) progress and prognostic factors 4) repeated intoxication(1 case).

Results : 1) Sex ratio was 1.5 : 1 with male predominance. In male the highest age distribution were in 3rd and 4th decades(69.2%) and in female, in 2nd and 6th decades(87.5%). 2) The major clinical symptoms and signs from admission to 1(67%), epigastric pain(43%), dyspnea(38%), oliguria(23%), and hypertension(10%). 3) The clinical progress were acute renal failure(8case), adult respiratory distress syndrome(5case) and multiple organ failure or undetermined(11case) 4) In spite of repeated intoxication twice at interval of 13 months 1 case has survived without complication.

Conclusion : Ingestion of Paraquat results severe toxic effects in multiple organs(gastrointestine, lung, kidney, adrenal, and CNS), and which is unknown mechanism of pathophysiology, reveled high mortality rate(76%) without active treatment until initial 24hours to 48hours.