Health Encyclopedia

Deodorant poisoning

Definition

This poisoning is due to eating a deodorant.

Poisonous Ingredient

Ethyl alcohol
Aluminum salts

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Where Found

Various deodorants

Symptoms

Unable to walk in a normal manner
Slurred speech
No urine output
Collapse
Breathing difficulty
Burning pain in the throat
Blurred vision
Burns to the eye
Rash
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea (watery, bloody)
Low blood pressure
Stupor (lack of alertness)
Coma

Home Treatment

Seek immediate medical help.

Give the patient milk or water, unless instructed otherwise by a health care provider. DO NOT give milk or water if the patient is unable to swallow due to convulsions or unconsciousness.

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

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
Medicines to make the person throw up
Activated charcoal
Endoscopy -- the placement of a camera down the throat to see the extent of burns to the esophagus and the stomach
A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)
Medicines to treat an allergic reaction (diphenhydramine, prednisone, or epinephrine)
Irrigation (washing of the skin), perhaps every few hours for several days
Skin debridement (surgical removal of burned skin)

In severe cases, the patient may be admitted to the hospital.

Expectations (prognosis)

Severe poisoning is unlikely. Survival over 24 hours usually means the patient will recover. However, death may occur as late as a week after the poisoning, if a lot of the product was swallowed.

Review Date:3/8/2006
Reviewed By:Stephen C Acosta, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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