Environmental/Toxic Flashcards
2 possible causes of acute hepatic necrosis with xylitol toxicity?
ATP depletion
Increased generation of ROS
Cocaine MOA
Inhibits presynaptic neuronal uptake of dopamine, NE, and serotonin = enhanced sympathetic transmission (tachycardia, arrhythmias, hypertension) & CNS (excitement & euphoria)
Blocks fast sodium channels = local anesthetic activity
Toxin in mountain laurel (rhododendron) and MOA
grayanotoxins: bind sodium channels in excitable cell membranes of nerve, heart, skeletal muscle which increases membrane permeability of sodium ions in the excitable membranes, thus maintaining the cells in the state of depolarization
N-acetylcysteine MOA?
Increased synthesis and availability of glutathione (NAC –> cysteine)
For acetaminophen:
Substrate for sulfation (less toxic metabolites)
Direct binding and detoxification of NAPQI
MOA of anticoagulant rodenticide
Inhibits vitamin K epoxide reductase which is needed to convert inactive vitamin K to active vitamin K
What is the difference between first and second generation anticoagulant rodenticides?
Second generation products are longer acting so vitamin K therapy should be continued for at least 4 weeks
MOA of bromethalin rodenticide
Uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation with a resultant decrease in ATP production. Decrease in cellular energy leads to inability of the Na/K-ATPase pump to function. This leads to a buildup of intracellular sodium followed by water movement into the cells and resultant cerebral edema and elevated intracranial pressure.
MOA of zinc phosphide rodenticide
Once it comes into contact with gastric acid it is hydrolyzed to phosphine gas and free radicals. When it is ingested with food there is enhanced susceptibility to zinc phosphide due to increased gastric acid.
Phosphine gas disrupts mitochondrial respiration as well as produces free radicals such as reactive oxygen species
Describe the pathophysiology of carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide competitively and reversibly binds to hemoglobin at the same sites as oxygen but with an affinity that is 230-270 times greater, resulting in marked anemic, hypoxia.
Carboxyhemoglobin shifts the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve to the left, resulting in less offloading at the tissue level.
How does hydrogen cyanide cause toxicity?
It interferes with utilization of oxygen by cellular cytochrome-oxidase and thereby causes histotoxic hypoxia.
Describe some of the changes to the respiratory tract that can be seen with smoke inhalation
Direct thermal injury can cause mucosal edema, of which laryngeal edema is of greatest concern.
Noxious gases can be inhaled (or gases are converted to acids within the respiratory tract).
Decreased lung compliance due to alveolar atelectasis due to impaired pulmonary surfactant activity as well as pulmonary edema.
Progressive mucosal edema can cause mucosal sloughing.
Smoke inhalation can cause a reflex bronchoconstriction which may worsen airway obstruction.
How does smoke inhalation increase the likelihood of bacterial pneumonia?
It may impair alveolar macrophage function. There are also stagnant luminal contents which create a favorable environment for bacteria.
What are the three possible outcomes in pure, uncomplicated carbon monoxide poisoning?
- complete recovery with possible transient hearing loss but no permanent effects.
- recovery with permanent central nervous system abnormalities
- death
Hyperemia of the mucous membranes in a case of smoke inhalation can be caused by what?
carboxyhemoglobinemia
cyanide toxicosis
systemic vasodilation
local vasodilation due to mucosal irritation
Why is oxygen supplementation beneficial in carbon monoxide poisoning?
the half-life of CO is 250 minutes i patients with normal respiratory exchange breathing room air, but is reduced to 26-148 minutes at an FiO2 of 100%.
How is cyanide toxicity treated?
IV sodium nitrite followed by IV sodium thiosulfate.
In the case of smoke inhalation, sodium thiosulfate should be used alone as sodium nitrite results in the formation of methemoglobin which could further compromise oxygen carrying ability
Describe some of the treatments for airway management following smoke inhalation
Tracheostomy if laryngeal obstruction
Empiric bronchodilators
Supplemental humidified oxygen which regular saline nebulization and coupage
Gentle activity is encouraged
Mucolytics may be used
True or false, mycoplasma species lack a cell wall
True, all members of the class lack a cell wall, thus they are damaged easily outside the host, and are difficult to identify with most staining techniques
In what locations are nonhemotropic mycoplasma infections found?
Respiratory tract, ocular, urogenital, nervous system, and systemically
True or false, mycoplasma are considered normal flora of the UPPER respiratory tract in dogs and cats
True
For the lower respiratory tract, they have been isolated from the lungs of healthy dogs buts not healthy cats
Why are ureaplasmas (a form of mycoplasma) found more commonly in the urogenital tract?
They require urea for a carbon source
True or false, mycoplasma has been found to cause disease in the lower urinary tract in cats
False, because of the lack of a cell wall, mycoplasma is at a high risk for osmotic damage from highly concentrated feline urine
What is the gold standard for diagnosis of a nonhemotropic mycoplasma infection?
Cultures
As the organism is slow growing it may be difficult to culture, it may require special growth media and transport
What are the benefits of PCR over culture for diagnosis of nonhemotropic mycoplasma infection?
Has improved sensitivity over culture, able to identify nonviable organisms, faster results
Which bacteria (actinomyces or nocardia) are part of the normal flora of the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and urogenital tract?
Actinomyces
Nocardia is found in the environment and is inoculated via penetrating wound or from inhalation
Describe the staining and morphology of actinomyces and nocardia
Gram positive, rod shaped
Actinomyces is non-acid fast, nocardia is partially acid-fast
What is the empiric antibiotic treatment of choice for actinomycosis? for nocardiosis?
Actinomycosis - penicillins
Nocardiosis - TMS
Which has a better prognosis, actinomycosis or nocardiosis?
Actinomycosis, reported cure rates of 90% in the dog
Vs. nocardia which has 50% mortality rate and 38.5% euthanasia rate from lack of clinical response
How do the biologic requirements of actinomyces and nocardia differ?
Actinomyces is facultative or an obligate anaerobe
Nocardia is aerobic
How low should actinomycosis be treated?
How long should nocardiosis be treated?
Actinomycosis should be treated for 6-12 months
Nocardiosis should be treated for 1-3 months for simple cutaneous infections, up to 1 year for severe systemic infections
What are the clinical sighs of aldicarb toxicity?
Muscarinic overstimulationSLUDGESalivation, lacrimation, urination/urinary incontinence, defecation/diarrhea, gastric cramping, and emesisAdditional symptoms of the cholinergic toxidrome include miosis, bronchorrhea, bradycardia, and lethargyNiconitic overstimulation: tachycardia, hypertension, muscle fasciculations, tremors, respiratory depression, respiratory failure
Minimum lethal dosage of EG in dogs vs cats?
4.4-6.6 ml/kg dogs, 1.5 ml/kg cats
List the pathway for ethylene glycol.
EG, glycoaldehyde, glycolate, glyoxylate, oxalate(al-co-oxy-oxa)ADH converts EG to glycoaldehyde AND glycoaldehyde to glycolate
What is the rate limiting step in EG pathway?
glycolate to glyoxylate
What are the most toxic metabolites of EG on a per weight basis?
glyoxylate and glycoaldehyde; HOWEVER, b/c of its longer half life and greater systemic accumulation, GLYCOLATE is thought to be the major mediator IN VIVOR
The CNS effects that occur during the first 12 hours of exposure to EG thought to be due to…
- aldehyde metabolites2. hyperosmolality3. metabolic acidosis
Clinical signs during 30 min to 12 h exposure to EG?
Depression, incoordination, ataxia, seizures, paresis, vomiting, coma, PU/PD, proprioception deficits, LMN signs, muscle fasciculations, hypothermiaLike me when drunk:)
Clinical signs from 12 h to 24 h exposure to EG?
Sometimes resolution CNS signs (cats sometimes remain severely depressed), tachycardia, tachypnea, hypothermia, muscle fasciculations
Clinical signs 24-72h post exposure to EG?
Severe GI signs, oliguria/anuria, seizures, death, anorexia, oral ulcerations, ptyalism
Rise in osmolal gap ocurs as early as __ hr in cats and dogs and typically peaks by ___ hrs dogs.
1 hr, 6 hrs
How long does the osmolal gap remain elevated after EG ingestion?
up to 18 h
What is the normal osmolal gap?
10 mOsm/kg
What method is best to determine the osmolal gap?
freezing point depression
What normally develops in 3 hr of ingestion of EG?
high anion gap normochloremic metabolic acidosis
Why does EG cause hypocalcemia?
chelation of calcium with oxalic acid to form calcium oxalate crystals
Hyperglycemia is seen in over 70% of patients with EG toxicity. Proposed mechanims?
- aldehyde induced inhibition of glucose metabolism2. increased epinephrine3. increased endogenous cortisol4. uremia
When are calcium oxalate crystals seen?
w/i 3 hr in cats, 4-6 hr dogs
What can be done to the urine to help determine if EG toxicity?
Wood’s lamp the urine - will fluoresce up to 6 h after ingestion of toxin
What can cause a false positive EG test?
- propylene glycol2. glycerol3. lactate dehydrogenas4. lactic acid5. less than 50 mg/dl EG
What causes acidosis with EG toxicity?
- Metabolic products of EG (glycolic acid aka glycolate)2. Increased lactic acid production caused by NAD depletion during EG metabolism
Disadvantages to using ethanol to tx EG tox?
- exacerbates hyperosmolality2. exacerbates osmotic diuresis3. worsens metabolic acidosis by enhancing formation of lactate from pyruvate
How does ethanol cause hypoglycemia?
Metabolized to acetaldehyde which impairs gluconeogenesis
Advantages of 4MP?
- Greater affinity for ADH than ethanol2. Not associated with CNS depression, hyperosmolality, or osmotic diuresis
What’s different b/t cats and dogs regarding use of 4MP?
Cats require much higher doses, up to 6 times higher
What therapies are used to prevent metabolism of glycoxylic acid (glyoxalate) to toxic end products?
Thiamine (converts it to alpha hydroxy and beta ketoadipate) and pyridoxine (converts it to glycine then hippurate, needs benzoate)
Signs of muscarinic overstimulation?
PNS: vomiting, diarrhea ptyalism, urination, bradycardia, miosis, bronchorrhea, tenesmus
Signs of nictotinic overstimulation?
SNS: tachycardia, hypertension, mydriasisCNS: agitation, coma, respiratory depression/failureNM jxn: muscle fasciculation, weakness, paralysis
Anastasio, JVECC, 2011. What were the most common clinical signs of acute aldicarb toxicity?
vomiting (M 93%), ptyalism (M 86%), diarrhea (M 80%), tremors (N 73%)others: dull mentation, bradycardia (M), increased resp effort, miosis (M), ataxia (N), hyperthermia, tachycardia (N), mydriasis (N), tenesmus (M), resp failure (N)
DDx for acute aldicarb toxicity?
- intoxication (other carbamate, OPs, nicotine, phenothiazines,mushrooms with muscarine)2. envenomation (spider, scorpion, neurotoxic snake)3. Infectious dz (botulism, lepto, encephalitis, meningitis)4. Neuro dz (epilepsy, cerebral vasculitis, subarachnoid or subdural hemorrhage or hematoma)5. metabolic dz (uremia, hypo or hyper glu, myxedema coma, thyrotoxicosis)
What is methiocarb?
molluscicide and insecticide, carbamate, less toxic than aldicarb
How do you make a definitive diagnosis of aldicarb toxicity?
gas chromatography or mass spectrometry on tissue, urine, vomit, stomach contents
How is measuring AChE activity helpful with aldicarb tox?
<25% diagnostic if C/S fitNot reliable in cats b/c of presence of pseudocholinesterase in feline erythrocytes
What was most common lab abnormalities with aldicarb tox?
- lactic acidosis2. hyperglycemia
How does atropine help with aldicarb tox?
parasympatholytic - helps with muscarinic sings (not nicotinic)
What are side effects of atropine?
GI stasis, constipation and prolonged retention of toxin, dry mouth, thirst, mydriasis, tachycardia, dysphagia, if severe then dyspnea, ataxia, muscle tremors, resp failure, death
How is aldicarb excreted?
kidneys
What about aldicarb causes respiratory failure?
peripheral - profound NM weakness d/t nictonic overstimcentral - depression of medullary resp centerothers: aspiration pneumonia, bronchorrhea, bronchoconstriction
How could diphenhydramine be helpful with aldicarb tox?
blocks nicotinic receptor overstimulation (only been shown effective due to OP tox, not carbamate tox)
How is 2-PAM helpful?
oximes decrease toxicity of cholinesterase inhibitors by reactivating cholinesterases (used for OP tox, not really needed for carbamate b/c spontaneous hydrolysis occurs that rapidly reactivates AChE); HOWEVER, may be synergistic with atropine with carbamate toxicity from human studies
What was survival in aldicarb tox paper?
91%
What 6 systems are evaluated on the SSS?
pulmonarycardiovascularlocal woundGI systemhematologic systemCNS
In humans, SSS > ___ is considered severe?
8