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Iron Poisoning
Description
Iron poisoning is an overdose or excess intake of iron either by taking pills or some other dietary form.
It is commonly seen in children mostly who take multiple iron supplements that look like a candy.
Symptoms appear when a person ingests a dose more than 10 mg/kg. So, weight of the child or adult is important to be considered to understand the severity of poisoning.
Causes
- To overcome iron deficiency and anemia, iron supplements (ferrous sulphate tablets) are usually present at home, which often come in hands of kids who mistake them as a candy and eat multiple tablets which lead to iron poisoning.
- Rarely, an adult in a suicidal attempt might take too many pills at once.
Symptoms
After few hours of taking too much iron, the person will start showing the signs of:
- Iron is irritating to stomach and causes diarrhea and vomiting.
- In extreme cases, blood in vomiting and stools.
- Fever and unconsciousness.
- Pain in stomach.
- Skin turns gray or blue.
- Dehydration if diarrhea is not treated immediately.
- Diarrhea is the reason behind drop in blood pressure and pulse
- Seizures due to drop in body’s water and electrolyte level.
- Coma if the poisoning has exceeded few hours.
- Decrease in blood pressure can lead to shock, affecting organs (liver) and uncontrolled bleeding due to blood-clotting problem that may even lead to death.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of poisoning is started by:
- A history taking of the related symptoms, frequency of vomiting and stool passing, Color change of skin, blood stain in the vomit and stool.
- Blood tests to check the levels of iron, acidity of blood increased by the poisoned cells (metabolic acidosis).
- Sometimes X-rays can give us a visual of multiple tablets inside the stomach, which have been swallowed.
Management
Treating poisoning is an emergency which requires:
- Immediate hospital admission to monitor the breathing and vitals (blood pressure, pulse and temperature)
- A procedure called ‘whole bowel irrigation’ which is done by giving a special solution through a tube into stomach which will flush out the toxin.
- Serious condition is managed by a process called “chelation” which is done by injecting a chemical in the veins that binds iron and other metals from the bloodstream, that will then pass out through urine.
When to consult a doctor?
Usually, the first signs of poisoning don’t appear until few hours, and it is by pure luck if one’s eye catches an empty bottle of iron supplements lying around.
Early detection by luck or appearance of symptoms should be taken seriously, and should be reported to a doctor to start the management right away.
Available Medicine for Iron Poisoning
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