Fatal methyl bromide poisoning

Methyl bromide was commonly used in fire extinguishers in aircraft engines and in submarines during the second world war. Now it is widely used as a fumigant insecticide in grain stores. Mortality after intoxication by methyl bromide vapour may be high, and is often associated with convulsions, usually resistant to standard anticonvulsant chemotherapy. The authors wish to draw attention to the continuing risk of exposure to methyl bromide and offer fresh suggestions regarding the clinical management of severe methyl bromide poisoning.