Accidental death from acute selenium poisoning

Lewis, Tony

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2007.tb01017.x

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To the Editor: I wish to address a statement made in a recent case report in the Journal entitled Accidental death from acute selenium poisoning.1 The authors claim that the death of a 75-year-old man after ingesting 10 g of sodium selenite “exposes the myth that natural therapies are inherently safe”.

Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia, Canberra, ACT.

Correspondence: tony.lewis@chc.org.au

1. See KA, Lavercombe PS, Dillon J, Ginsberg R. Accidental death from acute selenium poisoning. Med J Aust 2006; 185: 388-389. <MJA full text>
2. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Therapeutic Goods Administration. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Therapeutic Goods Administration. Substances that may be used in listed medicines in Australia. 30 Jun 2006. www.tga.gov.au/cm/listsubs.pdf (accessed Mar 2007).
3. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Therapeutic Goods Administration. Information for health professionals. Adverse drug reactions: what to report. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Therapeutic Goods Administration. Information for health professionals. Adverse drug reactions: what to report. http://www.tga.gov.au/adr/report.htm (accessed Mar 2007). (accessed Mar 2007).
4. Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Therapeutic Goods Administration. Guidelines on the reporting of adverse drug reactions by drug sponsors. http://www.tga.gov.au/docs/html/adrguide.htm (accessed Mar 2007).

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