Toxicologic Emergencies ptII; Specific emergencies Flashcards
Toxic Alcohol Poisoning
In addition to ethanol, three other alcohols can cause severe poisoning and can be found in many common household products.
What are they?
Methanol
Isopropanol
Ethylene glycol
What is Methanol?
Where is it found?
What does it cause?
(wood alcohol) is found in windshield wiper fluid, canned fuel (sterno), and solvents such as paint removers
Causes formic acid accumulation
What is Isopropanol?
Where is it found?
What does it cause?
a major component of rubbing alcohol, disinfectants, cleansers, and nail polish removers
Causes ketones in the urine
What is Ethylene glycol?
Where is it found?
What does it cause?
an odorless substance contained in antifreeze, detergents, paints, polishes, and coolants. Its sweet taste and fluorescent color are particularly appealing to paediatric patients and pets
Causes urine to fluoresce under Wood’s lamp
affects anion gap and osmolar gap
Name 4 ways Toxic alcohol ingestion may occur, and 3 ways that it can be absorbed.
Toxic alcohol ingestion can be unintentional, recreational, or suicidal, or it may occur in desperate alcoholics who cannot obtain ethanol. Besides oral ingestion, toxic alcohols may be inhaled or topically absorbed.
How does alcohol occur in the body?
Toxicity occurs in the liver after the enzymatic conversion of the alcohol to its toxic metabolites.
What are The toxic metabolites of ethylene glycol, methanol, and isopropanol?
The toxic metabolites-glycolaldehyde (ethylene glycol), formaldehyde and formic acid (methanol), and acetone (isopropanol) - produce widespread damage and metabolic dysfunction.
What is another name for isopropanol?
acetone
Methanol intoxication causes pronounced metabolic acidosis due to Methanol intoxication causes pronounced metabolic acidosis due to what?
formic acid accumulation
Ethylene glycol toxicity produces what?
anion gap metabolic acidosis and a large sum osmolar gap.
Isopropanol poisoning does what?
elevates the serum acetone level and causes ketones to appear in the blood and urine.
S/S The initial symptoms of toxic alcohol poisoning include what? (4)
CNS and respiratory depression, with nausea and vomiting after ingestion
Methanol toxicity may also result in ____ and ____
blindness and coma
Isopropanol toxicity causes ____ breath odor, ____ distress, vomiting, ____tension, and ____glycemia
acetone
epigastric
hypotension
hyperglycemia
Ethylene glycol toxicity produces these seven S/S
seizures, ataxia, coma, nystagmus, cardiac conduction disturbances, and dysrhythmias.
Profound ____, ____ failure, and ____ edema are major causes of death from toxic alcohol poisoning
acidosis
renal
pulmonary
What are 4 lab tests you should order for Toxic Alcohol Poisoning and what are the reasons?
ABG to detect metabolic acidosis, a common finding in toxic alcohol ingestion
Serum acetone and urine ketone levels, which are characteristically affected in isopropanol poisoning
Blood glucose level because hyperglycemia may occur
Urinalysis to detect oxalate or hippurate crystals (associated with ethylene glycol)
Toxic Alcohol Poisoning; Management
what are four procedures you should know?
this is one of them
Gastric Lavage
intubation, to maximize pulmonary excretion.
hemodialysis to remove metabolites and reverse acidosis in methanol and ethylene glycol toxicity.
Before hemodialysis in a patient with significant methanol and ethylene glycol overdose, expect to administer the antidote, ____ (____). This antidote is NOT indicated for ____ toxicity.
fomepizole (Antizol)
isopropanol
Toxic Alcohol Poisoning
How does Administration of Fomepizole work?
it inhibits alcohol dehydrogenase and blocks formation of toxic metabolites
Toxic Alcohol Poisoning
Hemodialysis may be used until ____ resolves and the serum level of ____ ____ol or ____ol is undetectable.
You should Monitor for ____ ____ during the procedure.
acidosis
ethylene glycol
methanol
cerebral edema
Toxic Alcohol Poisoning
For ethylene glycol, administration of what is indicated?
IV calcium or symptomatic hypocalcemia
For methanol, administration of ____ ____ is indicated.
folinic acid
____ and ____ (____ inhibitors) are major active ingredients in insecticides and pesticides, such as ant sprays, flea sprays, and insect sprays, powders, and liquids.
Organophosphates and carbamates (cholinesterase inhibitors)
Pesticide Toxicity
Pathophysiology - ____ aggressively bind to ____ molecules, inhibiting their effects and leaving acetylcholine unopposed in the neural synapses. As a result, the patient exhibits nicotinic, muscarinic and CNS system effects.
organophosphates
cholinesterase
Organophosphate-cholinesterase bonds do not reverse spontaneously. After __ to __ hours of continuous binding, the cholinesterase molecules are ____. The complete regeneration of cholinesterase can take how long?
24
48
destroyed
weeks or months
Organophosphate Poisoning
Commonly causes Muscarinic effects, such as…(9)
bradycardia, miosis, lacrimation, salivation, increased respiratory secretions (which may mimic pulmonary edema), bronchospasm, urination, emesis, and diarrhea.
SLUDGE - what does it stand for?
salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, gastrointestinal, and excitation
DUMBELS - what does it stand for?
defecation, urination, miosis, bronchospasm, or bronchorrhea, emesis, lacrimation, and salivation
MUDDLES - what does it stand for?
miosis, urination, defecation, diaphoresis, lacrimation, excitation, and salivation
Organophosphate poisoning may result in respiratory failure from
(4)
Pulmonary edema
Bronchospasm
Bronchorrhea
Respiratory muscle paralysis
Pesticide Toxicity
____ do not easily cross into the CNS, and their effects may be related to pulmonary toxicity rather than CNS toxicity, although muscarinic symptoms may occur and the effects may be evident for a shorter period of time.
Carbamates
What are Muscarinic symptoms?
by organ system include the following: Cardiovascular - Bradycardia, hypotension.
Respiratory - Rhinorrhea, bronchorrhea, bronchospasm, cough, severe respiratory distress.
Gastrointestinal - Hypersalivation, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fecal incontinence.
Dx of both Organophosphates and Carbamates
May be confirmed by measuring the plasma ____ level, red blood cell ____ level, or both.
Other lab tests include (7)
pseudocholinesterase
cholinesterase
electrolyte, BUN, creatinine, and glucose levels; ABG analysis, 12 lead EKG, and chest radiography to detect aspiration or pulmonary edema.
What are Carbamates and what are they used for?
They are used as sprays or baits to kill insects by affecting their brains and nervous systems. They are used on crops and in the home to kill cockroaches, ants, fleas, crickets, aphids, scale, whitefly, lace bugs and mealy bugs. Some carbamates control mosquitoes.
True or false
when treating a patient who has Carbamate poisoning, staff may be poisoned through coming in contact with the patients bodily fluids or skin.
true
With a patient who has ingested Carbamates, what should you anticipate?
If ingested, anticipate the administration of activated charcoal
Carbamate poisoning
For a patient with a severely depressed MS and respiratory distress due to secretions or muscle weakness, what should you do?
What should you NOT do?
assist with intubation and administer 100% oxygen
Do not use succinylcholine (Anectine) during intubation. It is contraindicated because of its effect on pseudocholinesterase
Pesticide Toxicity/Carbamate poisoning
Administer ____ IV to counteract the ____ effects of organophosphate poisoning. Continue until respiratory secretions have been cleared and bronchospasms and bronchoconstriction have stopped.
Atropine
cholinergic
Pesticide Toxicity/Carbamate poisoning
Prepare the patient for many days of treatment because why?
recovery requires the synthesis of new cholinesterase
Pesticide Toxicity/Carbamate poisoning
Be aware that tachycardia does not contraindicate atropine administration
Know that Atropine does not treat neuromuscular dysfunctions (nicotinic effects), such as muscle fasciculations and weakness.
Pesticide Toxicity/Carbamate poisoning
Administer ____ immediately after initiating atropine therapy to decrease or inhibit the effects of organophosphates on nicotinic receptors.
pralidoxime
The use of ____ in carbamate poisoning is controversial. ____ should only be used when the poisoning is severe (as defined for organophosphates), and the provider cannot differentiate the two.
oximes
Pesticide Toxicity/Carbamate poisoning
Seizure management should include ____. Avoid using ____ (____) for seizures induced by organophosphates.
Benzodiazepines
phenytoin (Dilantin)
Pesticide Toxicity; ____
Used in head lice treatments
Toxic poisoning very uncommon
Pyrethroids
Heavy Metal Toxicity
Absorption usually through ____ and ____, dermal exposure is possible.
inhalation and ingestion
With the exception of ____ and ____, heavy metals have no benefit to humans, are not metabolized, and are accumulated in tissues.
iron and lithium carbonate
Lead exposure can occur as a result of (5)
paints, dust in older buildings, lead contaminated soil, plumbing, batteries
S/S of lead poisoning include (8)
lethargy, hemolytic anemia, gastro symptoms such as anorexia, abdominal pain, and vomiting, toxic hepatitis, encephalopathy with seizures, coma
Chronic lead toxicity includes (9)
behavior changes, ataxia, motor neuropathy, anorexia, intellectual impairment, anemia, hemolysis, interstitial fibrosis, reversible tubular dysfunction
Mercury ;exposure can happen through (5)
fish consumption, thermometers, fluorescent lamps, batteries, some paints
Acute Mercury Toxicity includes (5)
renal failure, gastro manifestations, Mucous membrane irritation, noncardiac pulmonary edema, chemical pneumonitis
Chronic mercury toxicity includes S/S such as (6)
tremor, neuropsychiatric manifestations, irritability, memory loss, acrodynia in pediatric patients, dark blue or black line along the gum line.
Arsenic exposure can occur through what?
5
contaminated air or ground water, soil, food, paint, fungicide
Acute arsenic toxicity includes S/S such as (5)
garlic breath, tremors, seizures, severe gastro manifestations, hemolysis
Chronic Arsenic exposure can cause S/S such as (4)
peripheral neuropathy, anemia, malaise, anorexia