Antiseptic poisoning

Home treatment:

For boric acid:

• If on the skin, remove by washing the area. If swallowed standard procedure is to induce emesis (vomiting) unless the patient is unconscious or experiencing convulsions. Before inducing emesis, contact Poison Control for verification. If instructed to induce emesis, the standard procedure is as follows:

Give the usual dose of ipecac syrup: 15 milliliters (ml) or 1 TABLEspoonful for children and 30 ml (2 TABLEspoonsful) for an adult. Follow with 1/2 glass or 4 ounces (oz.) of water for children or 8 to 12 oz. of water for adults. Repeat 1 more time in 1/2 hour if emesis has not occurred.

For formaldehyde:

• DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING.
• Give water or milk to dilute the formaldehyde.

For iodine:

• DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING.
• Give cornstarch or flour (1 TABLEspoonful in 8 oz. of milk).
• Continue to give milk every 15 minutes.

For ethanol:

• DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY Poison Control. A patient can accidentally inhale vomit into his or her lungs.
• If able to rouse an adult patient, move him or her to a comfortable place to sleep it off.
• Make sure the patient won't fall and get hurt and that the patient is not lying in vomit.
• If the patient is semiconscious or unconscious, emergency assistance may needed.
• When in doubt, call for medical help. Adult consumption of 10 to 13 oz. of pure alcohol (20 to 26 oz. of 100% whisky) is potentially lethal if consumed within 1 hour.

For silver nitrate:

• DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING.
• Give water to dilute the silver nitrate.

For camphor:

• There is no home treatment recommended.

Before calling emergency:

Determine the following information:

• the patient's age, weight, and condition
• the name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
• the time it was swallowed
• the amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed.
For boric acid:

• Induce vomiting.
• Administer activated charcoal.
• Use gastric lavage.
• Give liquids by mouth.
• Administer dialysis.
• Treat the symptoms.

For formaldehyde:

• Give milk.
• Administer activated charcoal.
• Treat the symptoms.

For iodine:

• Use gastric lavage, depending on the extent of esophageal - injury.
• Give milk every 15 minutes.
• Establish and maintain the patient's airway.
• Treat the symptoms.

For ethanol:

• Use gastric lavage.
• Treat the symptoms.

For silver nitrate:

• Use gastric lavage.
• Give milk.
• Treat the symptoms.

For camphor:

• Establish and maintain the patient's airway.
• Use gastric lavage.
• Administer a cathartic (stool evacuant).
• Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis):

For boric acid: There is a high death rate in infants who have ingested enough boric acid to exhibit symptoms of an overdose.

For formaldehyde: Survival past 48 hours usually indicates recovery will occur.

For iodine: Survival after 48 hours usually indicates recovery will occur. Esophageal stricture could be a complication.

For ethanol: Survival over 24 hours usually indicates recovery will follow in cases of acute toxic alcohol consumption.

For silver nitrate: If treatment is started fairly soon after ingestion, recovery is likely.

For camphor: Survival past 24 hours usually indicates recovery will occur.