 | This articlemay need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia'squality standards.You can help. Thetalk page may contain suggestions.(January 2022) |
| Poisoning | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hazard Symbol (Pictogram) for Poisonning | |
| Specialty | Toxicology |
Poisoning is the harmful effect which occurs whentoxic substances are introduced into the body.[1] The term "poisoning" is a derivative ofpoison, a term describing any chemical substance that may harm or kill a living organism uponingestion.[2] Poisoning can be brought on by swallowing, inhaling, injecting or absorbing toxins through the skin.Toxicology is the practice and study of symptoms, mechanisms, diagnoses, and treatments correlated to poisoning.[3]
When a living organism is introduced to a poison, thesymptoms that follow successful contact develop inclose relation to the degree of exposure.[4]
Acute toxicity/poisoning consists of a living organism being harmfully exposed topoison once or more times during a brief period, with symptoms manifesting within 14 days since administration.[5]
Chronic toxicity/poisoning involves a living organism being exposed to a toxin on multiple instances over an extended period of time, whereas the symptoms either develop gradually or after aprotracted latent period.[6] Chronic poisoning most commonly occurs following exposure to poisons thatbioaccumulate, or arebiomagnified, such asmercury,gadolinium, andlead.[7]
In 2020, America's Poison Centers'NPDS (National Poison Data System) report determined that 76.9% of recorded toxin exposures were accidental, with the rest of the statistics either being deliberate or unexpected.[8] A large portion of these accidental incidents occurred due to mistakenly taking the incorrect medicine, or doubling one's dose by mistake.[8]
Nerve gases aresynthetic substances used in industry orwarfare that are specifically engineered to bring harm to living organisms.[9] They mayparalyze a person in a matter of seconds or cease organ function, quickly resulting indeath. They're considered to be biologically derivedneurotoxins, which are a genre of toxic agents that act specifically against the nervous system. Inhaled or ingestedcyanide (orZyklon B) was used as a method ofexecution ingas chambers.[10] This method of poisoning instantly starved the body of energy byinhibiting theenzymes inmitochondria that produceATP.[11]Intravenous injection of an unnaturally high concentration ofpotassium chloride, such as in the execution of prisoners in parts of the United States, quickly stops theheart by eliminating thecell potential necessary formuscle contraction.[12]
Most biocides, includingpesticides, are created to act as poisons to target organisms. Although acute or less observable chronic poisoning can also occur in non-target organisms (secondary poisoning), including thehumans who apply the biocides and otherbeneficial organisms.[13] For example, the herbicide2,4-D imitates the action of a plant hormone, which makes its lethal toxicity specific to plants. Indeed, 2,4-D is not a poison, but is classified as harmful.[14]
Many substances regarded as poisons are toxic only indirectly throughtoxication. An example is "wood alcohol" ormethanol, which is not poisonous itself but is chemically converted to toxicformaldehyde andformic acid once it reaches theliver.[15] Manydrug molecules are made toxic in the liver, and the genetic variability of certain liverenzymes makes the toxicity of many compounds differ between people.
.jpg)
As mandated inGHS, various safety-orientatedgovernment agencies from around the globe have put into place the usage ofpictograms when labelling toxic substances.[16][17] Thehazard symbol which labels a substance as capable of poisoning depicts the imagery of ahuman skull in front of two bones crossing one another.[18]
GHS precautionary statements, which advise users to exercise caution or be aware of the substance's potentially dangerous features, are added to a legal toxins' labelling.[19] Toxic substances can also come with instructions on how to handle the product, what compounds to avoid mixing the product with, and how to treat a victim at risk of poisoning who has come in contact with the product.[20]
Variouspoison control centers are also available to assist in diagnosing, managing, and preventing possible incidents of poisoning.[21] Many are accessible throughphone calls orofficial websites.
Seeking medical attention is strongly advised if someone is thought to have been exposed to or consumed a poison, mainly from a nearby poison control centre.[22][23] It is advised to provide medical personnel with information regarding the poisoning, the patient's age, weight, and any other drugs they may be taking in addition to the symptoms of the illness. Try to determine what was ingested, the amount and how long since the person was exposed to it. If possible, have on hand the pill bottle, medication package or other suspect container.[24]
The treatment will depend on the substance to which the patient is exposed. Depending on the type of poisoning, some first aid measures may help. Treatments include activated charcoal, induction of vomiting and dilution or neutralizing of the poison.[25]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: location (link){{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)| Inorganic |
| ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organic |
| ||||||||||||
| Pharmaceutical |
| ||||||||||||
| Biological2 |
| ||||||||||||
| Miscellaneous | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
