Iron poisoning
Introduction
Risk Factors
Signs and symptoms
Diagnostic criteria
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea
The vomitus and stools are often grey or black.
In severe poisoning there may be
• Gastrointestinal haemorrhage
• Hypotension
• Drowsiness
• Convulsions
• Metabolic acidosis
Gastrointestinal features usually appear in the first 6 hours and a patient who has remained asymptomatic for this time probably does not require antidote treatment.
Investigations
Treatment
-
Non-pharmacological
- Gastric lavage if potentially toxic amounts of iron were taken.
-
Pharmacological
- Give antidote treatment:
• Deferoxamine (deep IM injection) 50mg/kg up to a maximum of 1g by repeated every 12 hours; if very ill, give IV infusion 15 mg/kg/hour to a maximum of 80mg/kg in 24 hours.
Prevention
Educate the patient on Dos and Don’ts of poisoning prevention.
Do’s
• Keep medicines and poison in proper containers and out of reach of children
• Use containers with child resistant caps
• Keep all products in their original container
• Read medicine labels carefully to avoid mistake
Don’ts
• Leave container open
• Transfer products from their origin
• Remove labels from the medicine products
• Put tablets into another containers such as purse or envelope
• Medicine/tablets as sweet
• Take your medicine in front of children as they often copy
Updated on,
14 Novemba 2020 15:01:28
References
- 1. STG