Chemical poisoning is a pathological condition caused by the toxic effects on the body of products manufactured by industry or obtained in the laboratory. Intoxication is accompanied by severe symptoms and can lead to disability or even death. To avoid complications and disastrous consequences, you need to know how to provide first aid for chemical poisoning.
Types of poisoning
Intoxication is one of the most common pathological conditions. By the speed of development they distinguish:
- Acute - toxic effects occur within a few hours, characterized by pronounced specific symptoms.
- Chronic - develops with the constant ingestion of toxins into the body in small quantities. This form of intoxication is dangerous due to the absence of symptoms.
Also, poisoning with hazardous chemicals is divided into household, medical and professional. According to ICD-10systematization is based on the type of product, the entry of which into the body caused a toxic effect:
- Drugs, medicines (ICD-10 code X40-X44).
- Alcohol and its surrogates (X45).
- Gases and vaporous substances (X47).
- Pesticides (X48).
- Unspecified chemicals: household chemicals, some types of fertilizers and others (X49).
Causes of intoxication
The reasons why a chemical enters the body and causes poisoning can be very different. The main one is improper use of products. There are also other causes of chemical poisoning:
- Accidental or deliberate overdosing of the product.
- Using a substance by mistake or inattention.
- Failure to comply with the instructions specified in the instructions regarding the rules for the use of chemical products.
- The release of substances into the atmosphere as a result of an emergency or man-made disaster.
- Dereliction of duty.
- Ignoring safety precautions.
Chemical Poisoning: Symptoms
The clinical picture develops depending on the type and amount of poison that has entered the body. Acute intoxications can proceed rapidly with disorders leading to death, or slowly - with the gradual development of a symptom complex.
Due to the selectivity of the toxic effect of poisons, symptoms of damage to certain systems may prevail. In toxicology, it is customary to isolatethe main syndromes corresponding to disorders of the functions of these systems. Signs of poisoning with chemicals that are dangerous if the dosage is exceeded are:
- CNS: impaired consciousness, severe hyperreflexia, convulsive syndrome, dyskinesia, fatigue.
- Somatovegetative disorders: impaired thermoregulation, sweating, pupil constriction.
- Respiratory organs: shortness of breath, copious sputum. In severe poisoning, respiratory failure, atelectasis processes are observed.
- Cardiovascular system: increased blood pressure, circulatory failure, orthostatic collapse with loss of consciousness.
- GIT: nausea, frequent vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding.
What to do in case of drug poisoning
The cause of intoxication with medicines is their use without a doctor's prescription. Medicines primarily affect the nervous system. In case of chemical poisoning, medical attention should be provided as soon as possible. Pre-medical is to stop the use of drugs. It is also necessary to reduce toxic effects by the following methods:
- Gastric lavage to clean water.
- The use of activated carbon allows you to absorb toxins and reduces their absorption in the digestive tract.
- Providing the patient with physical and emotional peace.
- For good oxygen access, open windows and remove tight clothing.
- Whenhigh temperature wiping with a towel dipped in cool water.
Alcohol intoxication
Intoxication resulting from the use of ethanol with various impurities or other alcohols is called alcohol surrogate poisoning. Usually observed in people suffering from alcoholism. Also, surrogate poisoning occurs in adolescents due to the inability to buy high-quality alcoholic products. Alcohol intoxication is one of the most common types among all poisonings. It poses a great threat to life, about 90% of people with alcohol intoxication die before hospitalization.
The main signs of chemical poisoning (butyl, propyl alcohol, fusel oils) are:
- Repeated vomiting.
- Severe headaches.
- The appearance of flies, veils before the eyes.
- Drowsy.
- Obnubilation.
- Increasing thirst.
- Sudden increase in blood pressure.
- Irregular heart rhythm.
- Confusion.
In case of poisoning with surrogate alcohol, it is necessary to carry out detoxification and symptomatic therapy:
- Gastric lavage with weak potassium permanganate solution.
- Use of absorbent preparations: activated charcoal, Smecta.
- To reduce the entry of toxins into the blood, gastric contents are removed by artificially induced vomiting.
- When losing consciousness, the patient is brought to life by giving a sniff of ammoniaalcohol.
- If you are very thirsty, you can drink s alted water, but in no case carbonated water.
Help for pesticide poisoning
Pesticides are products used to control pests and diseases of garden and horticultural plants. The toxicity of agricultural pesticides depends on the structure, physico-chemical properties, concentration and duration of exposure. In acute intoxication, the following symptoms are observed:
- Dizziness.
- Pain in the limbs.
- Nausea with vomiting.
- Mismatched movements.
- In severe cases, shortness of breath, convulsions, high fever, coma.
Chronic intoxications are characterized by the following features:
- Fatigue.
- Irritable.
- Pain in the heart and solar plexus.
- Sluggishness.
- The development of gastritis, bronchitis is often observed.
In case of chemical poisoning, the first aid is to avoid contact with pesticides. If agricultural poisons get on the skin, they are removed with a swab and washed off with soapy water. In case of eye irritation, wipe with a weak solution of baking soda. If it enters the stomach, it is washed with water with absorbents dissolved in it.
What to do in case of poisoning with household chemicals
Chemization of all sectors of the national economy inevitably leads to an increase in contacts withchemicals. The main route of penetration of products that cause intoxication is the respiratory organs, less often damaged skin. Substances enter the stomach by swallowing them from the lips, nasal mucosa, or from insufficiently washed hands.
The nature of poisoning depends on the concentration and duration of exposure to chemical products. Also, the clinical picture is affected by the rate of neutralization and the body's sensitivity to poisons. Symptoms of chemical poisoning:
- Screw in the eyes.
- Treatment in throat, coughing up phlegm.
- Bitter taste in the mouth.
- Impaired breathing.
- Burns of mucous membranes and skin, burn pain.
- Spastic pain in the abdomen.
- Nausea, gagging. With severe intoxication, there is a large amount of bile in the vomit.
- Dizziness, constant headache.
First aid for chemical poisoning is as follows:
- Call emergency medical assistance immediately.
- Rinse the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, skin of the face and hands with water.
- Remove the victim from the room where toxic substances, due to their physical characteristics, have spread in the air (chlorine-containing substances, gasoline).
- When poisoned by acids, give the victim some milk.
- If the toxic effect is caused by alkali, give a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Gas poisoning
A frequent reason for household gas to enter the body in large quantities is non-compliance with safety regulations. Depending on the clinical picture in toxicology, 3 degrees of poisoning are distinguished:
- Easy. It is characterized by suffocation, dizziness, general weakness. Symptoms resolve after cessation of toxic exposure.
- Average. Differs in sharp expressiveness of signs of poisoning. Symptoms (palpitations, dysmotility, prolonged vomiting) resolve after medical attention, but residual effects continue to bother for several more days.
- Heavy. There is a severe clinical picture: brain dysfunction, myocardial damage, convulsions. Subsequently, complications develop.
First aid for chemical poisoning consists in evacuating the victim from a dangerous place, providing fresh air, warming by sheltering. Upon arrival, the ambulance performs resuscitation and hospitalizes the patient.
General principles of first aid for intoxication
Doctors should deal with the elimination of intoxication and the removal of poisons from the body. But to reduce the likelihood of complications and alleviate symptoms, a number of actions can be performed independently. First aid for chemical poisoning should be directed to the following:
- Accelerated elimination of poisons from the body.
- Urgent use of antidote therapy that changes the metabolic processes of a toxic substance or reduces its toxic effect.
- Removal of severe symptoms.
Therapeutic interventions
The way to treat chemical poisoning depends on the toxin, its concentration, time of exposure and the degree of damage to the body. The most commonly used methods are:
- Active detoxification is the first mandatory measure, which is carried out by gastric lavage. To accelerate the elimination of toxins, forced diuresis is used using diuretics (Mannitol) or saluretics (Furosemide).
- Hemosorption is used to cleanse the blood of toxins. In some cases, blood transfusions are used.
- Antidote therapy is effective in the early toxicogenic phase, and only in acute poisoning and if the type of poison is known.
- Pain syndrome is eliminated by injecting a glucose-novocaine mixture into a vein.
- Intoxication psychoses are stopped with neuroleptics, tranquilizers.
- To resume normal airway patency disturbed by convulsive syndrome, 2-4 ml of Seduxen is administered intravenously.
- In all severe cases of respiratory failure, antibiotics are used ("Penicillin" and "Streptomycin"). In case of a burn of the upper respiratory tract and swelling of the larynx, a tracheostomy is urgently performed.
The prognosis depends on the severity of toxic damage, the characteristics of the body and the professionalism of doctors.
Complications
Prolonged or high concentrations of chemicals often cause severe consequences:
- Toxic hepatitis.
- Toxic Nephropathy.
- Burn of the esophagus.
- Pulmonary edema.
Prevention
Poison warnings are based on mindfulness and caution:
- The use of drugs should be carried out as prescribed or after consulting a doctor.
- Only certified alcoholic products should be purchased and consumed.
- Before using household chemicals or pesticides, you must carefully read the instructions. You need to use the products in protective equipment.
- The gas room should always be ventilated.
