Plastic resin hardener poisoning
Definition
This is poisoning from swallowing or eating a plastic resin hardener.
Poisonous Ingredient
Where Found
- Various plastic resin hardeners
Symptoms
- Lungs
- Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Severe pain in the throat
- Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
- Loss of vision
- Gastrointestinal
- Severe abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Burns of the esophagus (food pipe)
- Vomiting blood
- Blood in the stool
- Heart and blood vessels
- Hypotension (low blood pressure) develops rapidly
- Collapse
- Skin
- Irritation
- Burn
- Necrosis (holes) in the skin or underlying tissues
Home Care
Seek immediate emergency medical help. If the resin is on the skin, wash the area thoroughly for at least 15 minutes. Contact Poison Control for further information.
Before Calling Emergency
Determine the following information:
- The patient's age, weight, and condition
- Name of product (as well as the ingredients and strength, if known)
- The time it was swallowed
- The amount swallowed
Poison Control
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the U.S. use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
See National Poison Control center.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The patient may receive:
- Fluids by IV
- Medicines to treat symptoms
- A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)
- Medicines to treat an allergic reaction (diphenhydramine, epinephrine, or prednisone)
- Endoscopy -- the placement of a camera down the throat to see the extent of burns to the esophagus and the stomach
- Irrigation (washing of the skin), perhaps every few hours for several days
- Skin debridement (surgical removal of burned skin)
- Breathing help, possibly a breathing tube
- Oxygen
Outlook (Prognosis)
Recovery and prognosis depend on the amount of exposure and the time to treatment. Serious toxicity may occur. Seek emergency medical care immediately.
Review Date:
2/28/2006
Reviewed By:
Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-RooseveltHospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed HealthcareNetwork.
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