Sodium azide (NaN3) intoxication, “the man who lived”: potential effective antidote and treatment strategy

Abstract

This case report describes the successful treatment of a suicide attempt involving the ingestion of a supralethal dose of sodium azide (NaN3), presenting a prospective novel antidote and therapeutic approach. Treatment encompassed the implementation of high-volume continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (HV-CVVH) alongside the administration of levocarnitine. The latter demonstrated a substantial mitigation of lactate concentration. Comprehensive analyses of serum, ultrafiltrate, and urine revealed the efficacy of HV-CVVH in elimination of NaN3. Our case report presents a potential therapeutic approach for managing otherwise fatal NaN3 intoxications.