The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery. Swallowing these poisons can have severe effects on many parts of the body. It is a good sign that recovery will occur if the person continues to improve in the first 4 to 6 hours after they receive treatment.
Many pesticides are readily removed by the body ( e.g., in urine or feces) in a matter of hours or days.
Human Exposure
Call the Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222 for help with first aid information. The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) (800) 858-7378 also can provide information about pesticide products and their toxicity.
Keep the victim at rest, warm and comfortable. Remove the person from the source of exposure. Wear a respirator if it is hazardous to enter the area to perform the rescue or wait for emergency responders to arrive. If a victim is not breathing, start artificial respiration.
Most pesticides are broken down and removed from the body by the liver and kidneys. These organs also remove prescription drugs from the body. The liver and kidneys may become less able to remove pesticides from the body if someone is taking several types of prescription drugs.
Atropine is the most important antidote for pesticide poisoning, being effective in OP and carbamate poisoning (Eddleston et al., 2008; Freeman and Epstein, 1955).
Symptoms of mild poisoning include fatigue, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, excessive sweating and salivation, nausea and vomiting, and stomach cramps or diarrhea. Symptoms of moderate poisoning include inability to walk, weakness, chest discomfort, muscle twitches, and constriction of the pupil of the eye.
Damage to the nervous system: Pesticides damage the brain and the nerves. Long-term exposure to pesticides can cause loss of memory, anxiety, mood changes, and trouble concentrating. Damage to the immune system: Some pesticides weaken the immune system, which protects the body from disease.
Urine and blood tests may be able to detect pesticide residues or metabolites to confirm acute exposures. Q: If a family member swallows pesticides, what should be done first? A: Read and follow the label's first aid instructions. Call the Poison Information Network for further direction.
The eyes, eardrums, scalp and groin areas absorb pesticides more quickly than other areas on the body. Damaged or open skin can be penetrated by a pesticide much more readily than healthy, intact skin. Once they are absorbed through skin, pesticides enter the blood stream and are carried throughout the body.
Treatment may include: Fluids by IV (through a vein) Medicines to counteract the poisonous effects, such as atropine. Medicines to support the blood pressure or heart rate.
Chronic health effects include cancer and other tumors; brain and nervous system damage; birth defects; infertility and other reproductive problems; and damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs and other body organs.
With chronic toxicity, gastrointestinal symptoms are common. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are generally seen. The toxidrome known as cinchonism can occur in chronic toxicity.
Medication Summary. The mainstays of medical therapy in organophosphate (OP) poisoning include atropine, pralidoxime (2-PAM), and benzodiazepines (eg, diazepam). Initial management must focus on adequate use of atropine.
In most cases, your family, including children and fur children, should be able to return home between 30 minutes and a few hours after spraying. In some cases, your exterminator may recommend keeping pets and small children away for a few hours longer. When in doubt, ask the professionals.
Some symptoms of pesticide exposure will go away as soon as the exposure stops. Others may take some time to go away. For people exposed to pesticides on a regular basis, long-term health effects are a concern.
Signal words are found on pesticide product labels, and they describe the acute (short-term) toxicity of the formulated pesticide product. The signal word can be either: DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION. Products with the DANGER signal word are the most toxic. Products with the signal word CAUTION are lower in toxicity.
Acute organophosphate insecticide poisoning can manifest 3 different phases of toxic effects, namely, acute cholinergic crisis, intermediate syndrome (IMS), and delayed neuropathy.
If the victim is not breathing
Protect yourself from pesticide exposure prior to and while giving assistance. Second: Administer artificial respiration and call 911. Third: Call the National Poison Center (1-800-222-1222). Fourth: Decontaminate the victim immediately; wash thoroughly and quickly.
Antidotes are agents that negate the effect of a poison or toxin. Antidotes mediate its effect either by preventing the absorption of the toxin, by binding and neutralizing the poison, antagonizing its end-organ effect, or by inhibition of conversion of the toxin to more toxic metabolites.
activated charcoal – sometimes used to treat someone who's been poisoned; the charcoal binds to the poison and stops it being further absorbed into the blood. antidotes – these are substances that either prevent the poison from working or reverse its effects. sedatives – may be given if the person is agitated.