CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Background and aims: A healthy man of 19 years old was swimming in an intense Microcystis sp bloom, in Uruguay river, Argentina. Symptoms of acute intoxication were installed within four days after the exposition. The patient was hospitalized in intensive therapy Methods: Water samples were analyzed by reverse phase HPLC-DAD. The case history, laboratory analysis and medical procedures are described Results and conclusion: The microcystin LR detected in bloom sample was 48.6 μg/L. The principal organs affected were lungs, liver and kidney. The first diagnosis was idiopathic pneumonia. The patient had respiratory acidosis and low pO2. The clinical parameters progressed to hepatic and kidney disease. The glucose levels were altered. Alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) reach level of 370 and 341 U/L respectively. Creatinine and urea reach levels of 2.2 mg/dl and 128 mg/dl respectively. All of these parameters are indicating liver and kidney injury. All parameters analyzed returns to normal levels within 15 days after expositions and today the patient do not have any consequences derived from its acute intoxication with microcystins.