Poisoning( food, mushrooms, alcohol, chemicals) - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.

Acute poisoning refers to the group of diseases in which the outcome depends on the actions that were performed in the first minutes and hours of the disease. The variety of chemicals, the heterogeneity of the symptoms, often complicate the diagnosis and selection of rational treatment of the patient with poisoning.

Assisting the poisoned has several objectives. First, the immediate removal of poison from the body. Secondly, urgent detoxication of the poison with the help of antidotes. Third, maintaining the functions of those organs and systems of the body, which are most affected by toxins.

Measures for the removal of toxic agents from the body depend on their pathways.

When poisoning with substances taken internally, gastric lavage of is mandatory. It is advisable to conduct this exercise in the presence of a doctor and with the help of a probe. At home, a non-probe method( "restaurant" method) is often used. But it is worth bearing in mind that this method has contraindications. You can not wash the stomach with a no-probe method if there has been poisoning with cauterizing substances, in order to avoid repeated exposure to the mucosa of the upper sections of the gastrointestinal tract.

Intestinal emptying with the help of enemas and laxative preparations helps to avoid absorption of poisons that have reached the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Adsorption of the poison .The most famous and available preparation for this purpose is activated carbon( carbolen).To date, there are more sparing and safe sorbents, such as polysorbent, smect, enterosgel. They can be taken either alone during the first hours of poisoning, or under the supervision of a doctor for a longer time.

If poisoning occurs when a poison enters the respiratory tract( gas poisoning), then the first pre-medical care will be to remove the victim to a well-ventilated room. If poisoning occurred with highly toxic compounds, then you should remove the outer clothing from it, sincepoisonous substances can accumulate in it. When toxic substances enter the skin, the skin is washed.

The poison, which had not been removed from the gastrointestinal tract, is absorbed into the bloodstream. With the flow of blood, poisonous substances are carried throughout the body, and various organs and systems of organs fall into and damage. To remove the poison from the bloodstream, the method of forced diuresis is used, with the help of drugs and the introduction of an additional liquid, the actions of the kidneys to excrete poisons are enhanced. This method is used with the preservation function of the urinary, cardiovascular systems. If the kidney function is impaired, is used as hemodialysis ( "artificial kidney").The device with filters is connected to the artery or vein and blood is passed through it. The poisons remain on the filters, and the pure blood is returned to the patient. If this is not possible, in extreme cases, a replacement blood transfusion is performed - some of the affected blood is removed and one-group donor blood is poured.

Food poisoning

Food poisoning can occur if a person eats foods contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi or toxins. However, not all cases after getting into the human body of such products will develop a disease. Some people are more resistant to them, others are heavier. The term "food poisoning" is often used as a synonym for gastroenteritis, although this is not the same. Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, which can be caused by a variety of factors, one of which is food poisoning.

Call an ambulance or go urgently to the hospital if food poisoning has occurred in a child, a pregnant woman, a person with chronic illness or elderly; if the following symptoms appear: blurred vision, difficulty swallowing and speech( perhaps it's botulism).

Call your doctor if symptoms persist for three or more days or become heavier if you feel prolonged cramping in your stomach. The doctor will determine the causes of food poisoning, exclude from the list of possible diagnoses serious diseases with the same symptoms, and prescribe treatment.

A patient with poisoning needs peace and a sparing diet with a limited amount of eaten. Drink as much liquid as possible, but avoid alcohol, coffee, milk, tea and carbonated drinks. With symptoms of poisoning, do not restrain vomiting and diarrhea - this is a natural reaction, allowing you to remove poisons from the body.

Poisoning with mushrooms

Poisoning by fungi differs from other food poisoning in that the poisons of fungi are poorly soluble. Therefore, despite the general use of the dish, the deterioration of the state of health can occur only in one person who has eaten a mild fungus. Symptoms of poisoning depend on the type of poison found in the fungus. Conditionally they can be divided into groups according to the organs that they most severely damage in the body.

1) Hepatotoxic( liver-damaging) poisons. These are phallocoxins of fly agaric and pale toadstool. In case of poisoning, they often cause death due to liver failure. The same group includes monomethylhydrazine of the Helvell family. The most recognizable representative of their are the lines.

2) Nephrotoxic poisons( affecting the kidneys).These include orlamine, grizmaline, cortinamine. They contain such mushrooms as spider webs and fiber.

3) Cardiotoxic( heart) poisons. These include muscarin mushroom red and panther.

4) Neurotoxic( acting on the brain) poisons. These are hallucinogenic fungi containing zoetenenic acid, mycoatropin, muscimol.

5) Poisons acting on the gastrointestinal tract are contained in the false-foam and champignon.

6) Often fungi cause allergic diseases.

The first aid for poisoning with mushrooms is decontamination of the poison( excretion of non-sucking poison).To do this, wash the stomach with a solution of soda or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then it is recommended to drink the drug with absorbing( suction) properties. The most accessible activated carbon must be taken in a dose of at least 40-60 grams for an adult.

Other preparations should be taken as directed. Also, you should take a laxative to cleanse the intestines from the poison. To relieve pain symptoms, you can take medication to relieve spasm. For example, no-spawn, papaverine. Be sure to consult a doctor, telling him that you are connecting your deterioration of well-being with the use of mushrooms. It is necessary to leave some of the suspicious food for mushroom examination, this will facilitate the patient's treatment.

To prevent fungal poisoning, the following simple rules must be observed.

First, collect only known fungi, know the poisonous fungi of your region.

Secondly, leave in the forest old, overgrown, wormy mushrooms.

Thirdly, do not engage in quiet hunting around the roads and railways, large enterprises. Mushrooms, like sponges, absorb all heavy metals, poisonous substances from the soil. Fourth, do not leave children unattended while gathering mushrooms. Children out of curiosity can try different mushrooms, and there are very few poisons for lethal outcome. In addition, children are more prone to poisoning due to an inadequate system of protection from toxins, a small weight.

Fifth, do not pick mushrooms in a plastic bag and do not store them untreated until morning. It is a perishable product. During the treatment of mushrooms at home, conduct a repeated inspection and sorting of mushrooms. Remember the main rule of the mushroom picker: is not sure - do not take .

Currently, there is a tendency to reduce food poisoning, but an increase in poisoning by chemical compounds and drugs.

Acid and alkali poisoning

Acid and alkaline poisoning occurs by accident or for the purpose of suicide.
Their action on the body when taken internally is composed of cauterizing action on the mucous membrane and resorption( absorption) of acids into the blood. At the place of contact of caustic substance with the mucous membrane of the mouth, esophagus, stomach develops a chemical burn, until perforation( through penetration).It manifests itself with the sharpest pains along the course of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting with an admixture of blood and gastrointestinal bleeding. There is painful shock and reactive stenosis( constriction) of the respiratory tract due to spasm and edema of the latter. This leads to death. Also, the danger is the absorption of caustic poisons into the blood, which leads to renal and hepatic insufficiency.

Only a health care team can help a patient. It is forbidden to wash the stomach without a probe. The introduction of weak alkaline solutions, as a rule, is not effective. Concentrated soda solution with acid poisoning will cause excessive gas formation and additional damage to the stomach. In the conditions of a medical institution in the toxicological or resuscitation department( depending on the severity of the patient), anesthesia, gastric lavage, prescribe antibiotics. If suffocation occurs, then the patient is connected to the respirator, and therapy is performed to maintain the most affected organ systems. Complications of this poisoning, in addition to violations of the liver and kidneys, is stricture( narrowing) of the esophagus, the pylorus of the stomach. On the site of chemical burns, rough scars are formed that disrupt the passage of food along the gastrointestinal tract.

Poisoning with potassium permanganate

Potassium permanganate( potassium permanganate, potassium permanganate) also belongs to substances with a pronounced cauterizing effect. If ingested at high concentrations, in addition to the above symptoms, it disrupts the oxygen addition to the hemoglobin of the erythrocytes, causing oxygen starvation of the whole organism.

Alcohol poisoning

The topic of alcohol poisoning and surrogate alcohol remains relevant. Symptoms of alcohol poisoning coincide with the signs of intoxication and hangover. Ethyl alcohol has an inhibitory effect on the central nervous system. The peculiarity of poisoning them is that it is absorbed by their stomach faster than processed in the body, so poisoning occurs quite quickly.90% of it is processed by the liver, and 10% is excreted with respiration and through the skin. It takes up to 12 hours to remove it from the body. Treatment of poisoning with ethyl alcohol is to wash the stomach, organize forced diuresis and other detoxification activities.

A more severe picture develops with methanol poisoning, also called wood or methyl alcohol. It is practically indistinguishable from ethyl alcohol to taste and smell, but it is much more toxic. It causes only a weak state of intoxication. Visual disturbances are the first signs of methanol poisoning. This manifests itself in symptoms such as the flashing of flies in front of the eyes, the vagueness of vision until blindness with a sharp dilatation of the pupils and the absence of reaction to light.

Later, there are pains in the head and legs, the work of the heart is disrupted, confusion appears, sometimes reactive excitement and convulsions.

Treatment consists in gastric lavage and cleansing of the intestine, administration as an antidote of ethyl alcohol inside or, in severe cases, intravenously, forced diuresis. If necessary, purification of blood with the aid of the apparatus "artificial kidney".

Alcohol surrogates are just dangerous in that they contain impurities of methyl and formic alcohols and other carbonyl compounds. Therefore, they are 1.5-2 times more toxic than ethanol and are deadly to the body.

Drug poisoning

Of drugs, the most common is the poisoning of hypnotics, tranquilizers, neuroleptic drugs from the barbiturate group. They inhibit the action of the central nervous system. Comatose state develops gradually, beginning with falling asleep to a coma with no reactions to external stimuli and atony( impotence) of muscles. This leads to a violation of breathing and the work of the heart. In the depressed state, aspiration of the contents of the stomach in the respiratory tract may occur with the development of pneumonia( pneumonia).Treatment consists in carrying out measures to remove the poison from the body, in the unconscious state - the prevention of pressure sores.

Gasoline Poisoning

Gasoline poisoning can occur if the substance enters the respiratory tract or over large areas of the skin. The emerging symptoms are similar to intoxication and are characterized by excitation, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. In severe cases, there may be loss of consciousness and convulsions. If you get into the gastrointestinal tract, there are abdominal pains, a loose stool with an admixture of blood and a violation of the liver function. Treatment is carried out only under the supervision of a doctor and is to maintain the functions of the affected organs.

Chlorine poisoning

Increasingly frequent poisoning with chlorine. They often occur in everyday life, when mixing chlorinated and alkaline synthetic detergents. Clinically, chlorine poisoning is manifested by a burn of the upper respiratory tract with reflex inhibition of the respiratory center. In less severe cases, a person experiences pain in the eyes, lacrimation, painful cough, headache. There is a defeat of the respiratory system in the form of acute emphysema of the lungs and acute pneumonia. In the treatment of inhalation with oxygen, antibiotic therapy, inhalation of soda solution and anesthetics.

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide poisoning stands apart from the inhalation poisoning group. It is formed when incomplete combustion of combustibles in the condition of lack of oxygen. With rapid poisoning develops loss of consciousness, cramps, dilated pupils and cyanotic skin. With gradual poisoning, there is headache, tinnitus, dizziness, lacrimation, visual and auditory hallucinations, motor paralysis( immobilization) with preservation of consciousness. The main blow takes on the nervous, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. First aid is to remove the victim from the gassed area, abundant inhalation of oxygen in a hospital. If breathing is disturbed, connect the patient to the ventilator.

In everyday life it's easy to get poisoning. Be attentive to yourself and your loved ones.

Doctor therapist Nalivaykina Anna Mikhailovna