Poisoning

Source - doubtfulnews.com

Presentation

Symptoms can be vary depending on the type of the poison. They can,

• Enlarge or shrink the pupils.
• Increase or decrease the heart rate.
• Some result in excessive drooling, while others dry the mouth and skin.
• Increase or decrease the respiratory rate.
• Can be painful or painless.
• Can cause hyperactivity or drowsiness.
• Confusion is often seen with these symptoms.

(Cunha J. P. 2015)

Figure 1 : Symptoms of Copper poisoning
Source - www.rayur.com

Figure 2 : Symptoms of Aspirin overdose
Source - en.wikipedia.org

Figure 3 : Symptoms of food poisoning
Source - www.skinsight.com

Causes

Poisoning can be caused by swallowing, inhaling, injecting, or absorbing any substance that can be poisonous. Poisons can include:

• High dose of medications
• Overdoses of illegal drugs
• Carbon monoxide from gas appliances
• Household products, such as laundry powder or furniture polish
• Pesticides
• Indoor or outdoor plants
• Metals such as lead and mercury

(Medline Plus. 2015)

Investigations

• A toxicology screen looks for common drugs of abuse.  They can detect:

           -       Acetaminophen
           -       Aspirin
           -       Marijuana
           -       Opioids (heroin, codeine)
           -       Benzodiazepines (diazepam [Valium]
           -       Chlordiazepoxide [Librium])
           -       Amphetamines (uppers)
           -       Cocaine
           -       Alcohol

• A specific blood test will give serum levels of some drugs such as,

           -       Phenytoin
           -       Theophylline digoxin
           -       Lithium
           -       Acetaminophen

• Anelectrocardiogram (ECG) may reveal toxicity.

(Cunha J. P. 2015)

Stepwise Management

• Elimination - Get rid of the unabsorbed poison before it can do any harm.
• If the person is unconscious, put a flexible, soft, plastic tube into the windpipe. This protects the person from suffocating in his or her own vomit and provides artificial breathing.
• If the poison has moved past the stomach, other methods are needed to treat the person.

-     Activated charcoal – It absorbs many poisons and works very effectively. When the poison is stuck to the charcoal in the intestine, it cannot get absorbed into the bloodstream.

-       Antidotes - Some poisons have specific antidotes. They prevent the poison from working or reverse the effects of the poison.

(Cunha J. P. 2015)

REFERENCES

Cunha J. P. 2015. Emedicine Health. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/poisoning/article_em.htm [Accessed 27^th April 15].

Medline Plus. 2015. Medline Plus. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoning.html [Accessed 27^th April 15].