MMSL 2013, 82(1):32-38 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2013.003

TOXIC POTENTIAL OF SUPERWARFARIN: BRODIFACOUMReview article

Jiří Patočka ORCID...1,2*, Georg Petroianu3, Kamil Kuča ORCID...2,4
1 Department of Radiology and Toxicology, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
2 Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
3 Department of Cellular Biology & Pharmacology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
4 Center of Advanced Studies, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic

Brodifacoum, a commercially available, long-acting anticoagulant rodenticide, is a highly toxic compound. Structurally it is similar to warfarin, but it is many times more potent, with the ability to cause severe bleeding in humans. Most of the health hazards of brodifacoum are associated with accidental ingestion. Superwarfarin intoxication may have no signs or symptoms other than bleeding at various sites. Brodifacoum has the potential to be used as a chemical warfare agent because of its high potency and long duration of action.

Keywords: anticoagulant; brodifacoum; superwarfarin; health risk; agent of oportunity; possible terrorist agent

Received: December 31, 2013; Revised: February 12, 2013; Published: March 8, 2013  Show citation

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Patočka, J., Petroianu, G., & Kuča, K. (2013). TOXIC POTENTIAL OF SUPERWARFARIN: BRODIFACOUM. MMSL, 82(1), 32-38. doi: 10.31482/mmsl.2013.003
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