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Anti-rust products

Definition

Poisoning from breathing in or swallowing anti-rust products.

Poisonous Ingredient

Anti-rust agents contain different poisonous substances, including:  

• Nitrites
• Oxalic acid
• Hydrocarbons
• Chelating agents

The ingredients can be swallowed or they may be accidentally breathed in (inhaled) if they are used in a small, poorly-ventilated area such as a garage.

Where Found

• Various anti-rust products

Symptoms

• Lungs and airways
  • Breathing difficulty 
  • Throat swelling (may also cause breathing difficulty)
• 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
  • Hypotension (low blood pressure)
  • Collapse
  • Ttoo much or too little acid in the blood, which leads to damage in all of the body organs
  • Methemoglobinemia
• Skin
  • Irritation
  • Burns
  • Necrosis (holes) in the skin or underlying tissues
• Kidneys
  • Kidney failure

Home Care

Seek emergency medical care immediately. If the patient is awake, give water. Do not make the person throw up.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

• Patient's age, weight, and condition
• Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
• Time it was swallowed
• 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)
• Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to see burns in the esophagus and the stomach
• Methylene blue, a medicine (antidote) to reverse the effect of the poison
• Oxygen
• Breathing tube
• Bronchoscopy -- camera down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs
• Irrigation (washing of the skin) -- perhaps every few hours for several days
• Skin debridment (surgical removal of burned skin)

Outlook (Prognosis)

How well a patient does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment was received. The faster a patient gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery.

Swallowing such poisons can have severe effects on many parts of the body. The ultimate outcome depends on this damage. Damage continues to occur to the kidneys, liver, esophagus and stomach for several weeks after the substance was swallowed, and death may occur as long as a month later.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.