Ingestion accidents

Bai and Majumder investigated the optimum concentration of 15 that could be incorporated in rodenticidal baits (zinc phosphide), which will not affect the toxicity or palatability of the baits, but which will induce vomiting when it is ingested accidently by the nontarget species. The experimental results are as follows Zinc phosphide alone at 1.0% resulted in 100% mortality of test rats within 18 hours of feeding. Although the... 

The toxicity of a substance is its capacity to cause injury once inside the body. The main modes of entry into the body by chemicals in industry are inhalation, ingestion and absorption through the skin. Gases, vapours, mists, dusts, fumes and aerosols can be inhaled and they can also affect the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Ingestion is rare although possible as a result of poor personal hygiene, subconscious hand-to-mouth contact, or accidents. The skin can be affected directly by contact with the chemicals, even when intact, but its permeability to certain substances also offers a route into the body. Chemicals accorded a skin notation in the list of Occupational Exposure Limits (see Table 5.12) are listed in Table 5.2. Exposure may also arise via skin lesions. 

The ingestion dose contributes very little to the dose from a severe reactor accident and is usually not computed. However, the food pathway is a major determinant of bow the exposed area must be treated in the months and years following the accident. If the ground concentration is high, the land may be interdicted from agricultural u.se or grazing. 

Troop exposure to these materials could result from leaking DF containers, accidents that disrupt packaging, spills at production or storage facilities, or accidents during transport. Because DF and DC are relatively volatile compounds, the primary route of exposure is expected to be the respiratory system. However, ingestion also results from inhalation exposures in animals and could occur in humans. DF and DC vapors have a pungent odor and may cause severe and painful irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Data provided are for DF only, DC has similar properties. 

A 3-year-old female ingests a bottle of aspirin by accident. Among the therapeutic interventions, which of the following should be included ... 

A 2-year-old male ingests iron pills by accident. He develops severe abdominal pain and bloody vomit us. Which of the following might be administered to this patient ... 

Human toxicity data are limited to secondary citations. Because these citations provided no experimental details, they cannot be considered reliable. Deaths have occurred from aniline ingestion and skin absorption, but doses were unknown. Reviews of the older literature indicate that a concentration of 5 ppm was considered safe for daily exposures, concentrations of 7 to 53 ppm produced slight symptoms after several hours, a concentration of 40 to 53 ppm was tolerated for 6 h without distinct symptoms, a concentration of 130 ppm may be tolerated for 0.5 to 1 h without immediate or late sequalae, and 100 to 160 ppm was the maximum concentration that could be inhaled for 1 h without serious disturbance. In studies of accidents with unknown exposure concentrations, methemoglobin levels of up to 72% were measured. Recoveries occurred with a minimum of medical intervention following cessation of exposure. 

All of these chemicals pose an inhalation hazard but a toxic dose could also be obtained through skin absorption or ingestion. Factors that were considered when selecting potential candidate chemicals include global production, physical state of the material (i.e., gas, liquid, or solid), chemicals likely to cause major morbidity or mortality, potential to cause public panic and social disruption, chemicals that require special action for public health preparedness, history of previous use by the military, and/or involvement in a significant industrial accident. 

Moving away from the site of the attack as quickly as possible will reduce the amount of exposure. Orderly retreat will reduce the risk of other accidents such as sprains or broken bones. An individual could receive additional exposure for every minute spent in the open near the attack site. If he has had direct contact with a hazardous substance, the time of exposure should be minimized. Hazardous substances on the skin, clothing, and hair should be removed as quickly as possible using specific decontamination methods outlined in Chapter 7. Special medical attention should be administered as soon as possible if an individual has ingested or inhaled a hazardous substance or if the hazardous substance entered the body through a wound. Consider the following example ... 

Sunderman FW Jr, Dingle B, Hopfer SM, et al. 1988. Acute nickel toxicity in electroplating workers who accidently ingested a solution of nickel sulfate and nickel chloride. Am J Ind Med 14 257-266. 

Finally, some patients may die before hospitalization because the behavioral effects of the ingested drug may result in traumatic injury. Intoxication with alcohol and other sedative-hypnotic drugs is a common contributing factor to motor vehicle accidents. Patients under the influence of hallucinogens such as phencyclidine (PCP) or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) may suffer trauma when they become combative or fall from a height. 

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