Poisoning
akee p. Jamaican vomiting sickness.
aluminum p. the toxic effects of high levels of aluminum or aluminum compounds in the body. In the gastrointestinal tract aluminum inhibits absorption of calcium, fluorides, iron, and phosphates; inhalation of bauxite fumes may cause pulmonary fibrosis (see aluminosis); and aluminum in the bloodstream may lead to neurological symptoms that can be fatal (see dialysis encephalopathy, under encephalopathy).
anticholinergic p. poisoning caused by overdosage with an anticholinergic agent or by ingestion of plants such as jimsonweed that contain belladonna alkaloids. It is characterized by dry mouth, hot, dry, flushed skin, fixed and dilated pupils, sinus tachycardia, urinary retention, disorientation, agitation, impairment of short-term memory, slurred speech, hallucinations, respiratory depression, seizures, and coma; in rare cases death may occur. Treatment is by induced emesis and administration of activated charcoal; physostigmine may be used in severe cases to reverse the anticholinergic effects.
anticoagulant rodenticide p. accidental poisoning of domestic animals or livestock, with death from hemorrhaging, after consuming an anticoagulant rodenticide such as an indanedione or warfarin derivative. They may eat the poison itself or may eat rodents that died from such rodenticides.
antimony p. poisoning due to ingestion of antimony compounds, such as from industrial exposure; the symptoms are similar to those of acute arsenic poisoning, with vomiting a prominent symptom. Called also stibialism.
arsenic p. poisoning due to systemic exposure to inorganic pentavalent arsenic. Acute arsenic poisoning, which may result in shock and death, is marked by erythematous skin eruptions, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, muscular cramps, and swelling of the eyelids, feet, and hands. Chronic arsenic poisoning (called also arsenicalism and arsenism), due to the ingestion of small amounts over a long period of time, is marked by pigmentation of the skin accompanied by scaling, hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles, transverse white lines on the fingernails (Mees' lines), headache, peripheral neuropathy, and confusion.
barium p. poisoning from excessive ingestion of barium or one of its salts, characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, followed by severe, sometimes fatal hypokalemia with paralysis.
beryllium p. berylliosis.
bismuth p. poisoning from excessive or chronic ingestion of bismuth or its salts; symptoms include anuria, stomatitis, dermatitis, and diarrhea. Called also bismuthism and bismuthosis.
blister beetle p. cantharidin p.
blood p. septicemia.
blue-green algae p. cyanobacteria p.
bongkrek p. poisoning from bongkrek, a Javanese dish prepared by means of molds from copra press cake. When the fermentation process is faulty, severe poisoning occurs, with vomiting, profuse perspiration, muscle cramps, and coma. Called also tempeh p.
boron p. poisoning of humans or other animals by boron, boric acid, or a borate salt such as sodium borate (borax). Symptoms include weakness, ataxia, tremors, convulsions, and often death.
bracken p. poisoning of animals after eating Pteridium aquilinum (bracken). In monogastric animals it consists of severe intoxication due to enzymatic destruction of thiamine by a thiaminase present in the plant; in ruminants it is apparently due to a dialyzable small molecule that causes bone marrow hypoplasia and eventual death. See also enzootic bovine hematuria, under hematuria.
broom p. poisoning of humans or other animals by ingestion of Cytisus scoparius or other brooms, leguminous shrubs that contain sparteine and cytisine. Characteristics include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and sometimes clonic convulsions with fatal respiratory paralysis.
buckthorn p. poisoning of humans or other animals that consume the fruit of Karwinskia humboldtiana (buckthorn), which contains a neurotoxin. Demyelination and axonal degeneration occur in peripheral nerves, slowly progressing to muscle weakness, paralysis, and death.
cadmium p. poisoning from excessive ingestion of cadmium or breathing in of its fumes; symptoms include nausea, vomiting, salivation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and occasionally cardiovascular collapse. Long-term exposure may cause renal disease with tubulopathy and proteinuria.
callistin shellfish p. poisoning caused by ingestion of the gastropod shellfish Callista brevisphonata; an outbreak occurred in Japan in the 1950s. It was believed to be due to a choline present in the ovaries of the shellfish.
cantharidin p. poisoning of horses or ruminants by hay contaminated with blister beetles whose bodies contain cantharidin; signs include hyperemia or erosions of the oral and esophageal mucosa, frequent urination, and sometimes shock and death. Called also blister beetle p. and cantharidism.
carbamate p. poisoning of humans or other animals by exposure to excessive amounts of carbamate insecticides; characteristics include salivation, tremors, dyspnea, and occasionally convulsions.
carbon disulfide p. a condition occurring in workers who excessively inhale fumes of carbon disulfide; characteristics include weakness, sleeplessness, and visual impairment, and sometimes gastric ulcers, encephalopathy, and paralysis.
carbon monoxide p. poisoning due to the inhalation of carbon monoxide and the resulting change of oxyhemoglobin to carboxyhemoglobin (see carboxyhemoglobinemia); it may result in tissue hypoxia, cellular anoxia, damage to the central nervous system, and death.
chronic fluoride p. , chronic fluorine p. fluorosis.
cobalt p. poisoning from long-term excessive exposure to cobalt, seen in those who work with cobalt and formerly in beer drinkers because for years cobalt was added to beer as a foam stabilizer. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, nerve deafness, and cardiomyopathy (beer-drinkers' cardiomyopathy).
copper p. poisoning by copper or copper salts. In humans it usually follows excessive intake of medicinal cupric sulfate or results from an enzyme deficiency such as Menkes syndrome or Wilson's disease. Characteristics include vomiting, which may be bluegreen, hypotension, jaundice, and coma that may end in death. In animals it is most common in ruminants and pigs after excessive intake of medicinal or fungicidal copper; acute poisoning is characterized by vomiting and convulsions, while chronic poisoning is marked by liver and kidney damage. Chronic buildup of liver copper stores resulting in release of copper into the bloodstream may cause symptoms similar to those of acute poisoning and may be fatal.
corn cockle p. githagism.
cyanide p. poisoning of humans or other animals by cyanide compounds, potent rapid-acting substances that cause cellular hypoxia by formation of an inactive complex of cytochrome oxidase and cyanide. Characteristics include nausea without vomiting, dizziness, convulsions, opisthotonos, and death from respiratory paralysis. The usual cause in livestock and other animals is ingestion of plants containing cyanogenetic compounds (see table). In humans it is usually the result of exposure to hydrogen cyanide liquid or gas that is given off by a fungicide, insecticide, or other substance. Cyanide is detoxified by the liver enzyme thiosulfate sulfurtransferase, which catalyzes the reaction of cyanide with thiosulfate to form thiocyanide.
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cyanobacteria p. poisoning in humans or other animals by cyanobacteria, usually as a result of drinking contaminated water. The most common genera of such bacteria are Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Gloeotrichia, Microcystis (Anacystis), Nodularia, and Oscillatoria. In most cases it is a subacute condition characterized by liver damage with jaundice and sometimes bloody diarrhea and photosensitization. Drinking of heavily contaminated water may cause acute symptoms including muscle tremors, ataxia, dyspnea, cyanosis, and hyperesthesia so that a slight touch may cause convulsions and opisthotonos, which can be fatal. Called also blue-green algae p.
darnel p. a type of rye grass poisoning of humans or other animals after ingesting the seeds of darnel, Lolium temulentum, probably only when they are contaminated with a mold such as Endoconidium temulentum (see endoconidiotoxicosis); in humans this happens when moldy seeds accidentally contaminate flour. Characteristics include giddiness, staggering, vertigo, vomiting, and visual disturbances.
djenkol bean p. poisoning by the djenkol bean; symptoms vary from lumbar pain, vomiting, and diarrhea to hematuria and proteinuria progressing to anuria and renal failure. Called also djenkolism.
elasmobranch p. a form of ichthyosarcotoxism seen in humans or other animals after ingestion of certain toxic sharks and skates. One type results from eating the muscle tissue of the shark Somniosus microcephalus. Another type is hypervitaminosis A from eating the liver of any of various species.
ergot p. ergotism.
esowasure-gai p. Japanese name for callistin shellfish p.
fish p. ichthyosarcotoxism.
fluoroacetate p. poisoning of humans or other animals by fluoroacetate compounds. Carnivores are affected when they eat small animals that have died from fluoroacetate rodenticides, and ruminants are affected when they eat fluoroacetate-containing plants such as Acacia georginae or species of Dichapetalum, Gastrolobium, Oxylobium, or Palicourea. Poisoning in humans is usually caused by ingestion of rodenticides. Fluoroacetate blocks one of the steps in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, causing symptoms that are often fatal such as neurological problems ranging from ataxia and agitation to convulsions, and heart problems such as severe tachycardia and cardiomyopathy.
food p. a group of illnesses varying in severity from mild and self-limited to life threatening, caused by ingestion of contaminated food or food that is inherently poisonous. Various microorganisms may cause it, the most common being pathogenic bacteria or their products (toxins), e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter, Clostridium botulinum, C. perfringens, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, Shigella species, Salmonella species, and Yersinia enterocolitica. Bacterial food poisoning is usually manifested as acute gastroenteritis but may be associated with such syndromes as botulism, typhoid fever, and cholera. Neurologic symptoms can also be caused by food poisoning as a result of ingestion of chemically toxic foods, such as certain mushrooms and berries, or may involve substances such as heavy metals, mercury, or insecticides.
forage p. a type of mycotoxicosis seen in domestic animals, especially horses, resulting from ingestion of food contaminated with a fungus, usually Fusarium moniliforme. It causes neurotoxicity, particularly inflammation or softening of the white matter of the brain, with symptoms such as ataxia, tremor, circling, dimmed vision, drowsiness, and sometimes death. See also moldy corn p. Called also leukoencephalitis, leukoencephalomalacia, mycotoxic leukoencephalomalacia, and sleepy staggers.
fugu p. tetrodotoxism (def. 1).
gossypol p. poisoning from eating cottonseed cake that contains a high proportion of gossypol; most often seen in pigs.
Gymnothorax p. a form of ichthyosarcotoxism produced by ingestion of certain moray eels of the genus Gymnothorax.
heavy metal p. poisoning with any of the heavy metals, particularly antimony, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, thallium, or zinc.
hydrogen sulfide p. poisoning by excessive exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas, seen primarily in those who work with petroleum or petrochemicals. The gas is a potent inhibitor of cytochrome-c oxidase (q.v.) and poisoning is characterized by metabolic acidosis and anoxia; severe cases may result in coma with death from respiratory paralysis.
iodine p. iodism.
iron p. poisoning from ingestion of excessive iron or iron-containing compounds, such as in children who eat iron supplement tablets like candy; symptoms include ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract, vomiting, vasodilation with shock, metabolic acidosis, liver injury, and coagulation disturbances.
larkspur p. poisoning of humans, cattle, or sheep by the fresh leaves and roots of certain species of Delphinium (larkspur), which contain delphinine and other alkaloids. Ingestion sometimes results in instantaneous death, probably from paralysis of the heart, and sometimes causes neurological symptoms of less rapid onset that may also terminate in paralysis and asphyxia.
lead p. poisoning due to the absorption or ingestion of lead or one of its salts. The symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, colic, constipation, insomnia, headache, dizziness, irritability, moderate hypertension, albuminuria, anemia, a blue line at the edge of the gums (lead line), encephalopathy (especially in children), and peripheral neuropathy leading to paralysis. Called also plumbism.
loco p. , locoweed p. locoism.
manganese p. poisoning by manganese, usually caused by inhalation of manganese dust. Symptoms include neurotoxicity with a syndrome resembling paralysis agitans, and inflammation throughout the respiratory system; see also manganese pneumonitis, under pneumonitis. Called also manganism.
meat p. acute, often severe gastroenteritis, most often caused by meat contaminated with Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, invasive Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, or Yersinia enterocolitica.
mercury p. acute or chronic disease caused by mercury and its salts. The acute form, due to ingestion, is marked by severe abdominalgia, metallic taste in the mouth, vomiting, bloody diarrhea with watery stools, oliguria or anuria (usually at onset), and corrosion and ulceration of the entire digestive tract. The chronic form, due to absorption by the skin and mucous membranes, inhalation of vapors, or ingestion of mercury salts, is marked by stomatitis, metallic taste in the mouth, a blue line along the border of the gum, sore hypertrophied gums that bleed easily, loosening of the teeth, excessive secretion of saliva, tremors and incoordination, and psychiatric symptoms including abnormal excitability, anxiety, and social withdrawal..
milk p. see under sickness.
moldy corn p. forage poisoning occurring when animals eat corn contaminated with the fungus Fusarium moniliforme, which contains toxic fumonisins. Called also cornstalk disease.
molybdenum p. poisoning due to ingestion of large amounts of molybdenum, characterized by weakness, diarrhea, and loss of hair pigmentation; seen primarily in livestock that graze in certain kinds of pastures (see teart). Called also molybdenosis.
mushroom p. poisoning resulting from ingestion of mushrooms; potentially deadly types result from ingestion of Amanita phalloides, A. verna, A. virosa, and species of Chlorophyllum, Galerina, and Lepiota, which contain neurotoxic amatoxins. The clinical course usually begins with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, followed by a quiescent period of up to 48 hours, and then signs and symptoms of severe hepatic, renal, and central nervous system damage followed by death.
mussel p. see shellfish p.
naphthol p. the toxic condition brought on by the ingestion or absorption through the skin of naphthol, characterized by anemia, jaundice, convulsions, and coma. Called also naphtholism.
neurotoxic shellfish p. see shellfish p.
nicotine p. poisoning by ingestion of excessive amounts of nicotine, such as in children who eat cigarettes, workers who handle wet tobacco leaves, or persons who overuse nicotine gums or patches. Symptoms include stimulation followed by depression of the central and autonomic nervous systems and occasionally death due to respiratory paralysis. See also green tobacco sickness. Called also nicotinism.
nicotine sulfate p. poisoning of lambs or calves by nicotine sulfate, formerly used as a component of vermifuges. Symptoms include tremors, rapid respiration, recumbency, and convulsions; severe cases may end in death.
nitrite p. poisoning of ruminants grazing on nitrate-rich plants; the nitrates break down into nitrites in the body. Plants naturally rich in nitrates include Chenopodium album, Salvia reflexa, and species of Amaranthus. Poisoning can also occur in fields heavily dosed with certain fertilizers (see ammonium nitrate and sodium nitrate). Characteristics include gastroenteritis, diarrhea, potentially fatal methemoglobinemia with anemic anoxia, dyspnea, tremors, and cyanosis.
nitroaniline p. poisoning by nitroaniline, a dye used in paints, inks, and other products, characterized by intense methemoglobinemia.
nutmeg p. severe toxic symptoms produced by ingestion of powdered nutmeg, characterized by narcosis with periods of delirium and excitability.
organophosphorus compound p. poisoning of humans or other animals by excessive exposure to an organophosphorus compound (see table at organophosphorus); it often ends fatally. Humans, sheep, and pigs show primarily neurologic signs such as axonopathy and paralysis; cattle, horses, dogs, and cats more often have ataxia or tremors and diarrhea.
oxalate p. poisoning of humans or other animals by oxalic acid or oxalates, usually by ingesting large quantities of oxalate-containing plants (see table). Characteristics include gastroenteritis, hypotension, hypocalcemia, muscle weakness and twitching, nephrosis, and hyperoxaluria. Called also oxalism.
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oxygen p. see under toxicity.
paraldehyde p. paraldehydism.
paralytic shellfish p. see shellfish p.
paraquat p. poisoning by paraquat that has been either ingested or absorbed through the skin. Contact with concentrated solutions causes irritation of the skin, cracking and shedding of the nails, and delayed healing of cuts and wounds. After ingestion of large doses, potentially fatal renal and hepatic failure may develop, followed by pulmonary insufficiency.
parathyroid p. the increase in metastatic calcification of organs, particularly the kidneys, when a high calcium diet is given a patient with hyperparathyroidism.
phenol p. poisoning due to ingestion or absorption through the skin of phenol; symptoms include colic, local irritation, corrosion, seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, shock, and respiratory arrest. Called also carbolism.
phosphorus p. a condition resulting from ingestion or inhalation of phosphorus, manifested by mandibular necrosis (see phosphorus necrosis), toothache, anorexia, weakness, and anemia.
pitch p. an often fatal disorder of domestic animals or livestock, particularly pigs, after they lick or chew on pitch-containing substances such as the tarred walls and floors of pigpens or clay pigeons used in target practice; characteristics include liver damage, inappetence, depression, weakness, jaundice, and anemia.
puffer p. , puffer fish p. tetrodotoxism (def. 1).
ragwort p. seneciosis.
rodenticide p. accidental poisoning of domestic animals or livestock by the effects of rodenticides, either when they directly eat the poison or when they eat rodents that died from the poison. See also fluoroacetate p. and anticoagulant rodenticide p.
rye grass p. poisoning of an animal or occasionally a human by eating rye grass (genus Lolium), usually consisting of mycotoxicosis when the grass is moldy. Common types are darnel poisoning and rye grass staggers. See also endoconidiotoxicosis.
salmon p. poisoning in canines, other carnivores, or sometimes humans, usually in the Pacific Northwest, from eating raw fish, especially salmon and trout, that are parasitized by the fluke Troglotrema salmincola, which serves as a vector of various rickettsiae. When the etiologic agent is Neorickettsia helminthoeca, animals or humans suffer from hemorrhagic enteritis. A milder form, caused by an unknown rickettsia, is called Elokomin fluke fever.
salt p. poisoning of animals, especially pigs and birds, due to ingestion of too much salt in the absence of available water, marked by excessive thirst, diarrhea, and vomiting, often culminating in death.
saturnine p. lead p.
sausage p. see allantiasis and botulism.
scombroid p. a form of ichthyosarcotoxism caused by the ingestion of a toxic histaminelike substance produced by the action of bacteria on histidine, a normal component of fish flesh. Scombroid fish (tuna, bonito, mackerel, etc.) are particularly susceptible to bacterial decomposition, and when inadequately preserved contaminated fish are eaten the symptoms of the illness, including epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, dysphagia, thirst, urticaria, and pruritus, develop and usually last for less than 24 hours.
selenium p. poisoning of livestock from grazing on plants that have absorbed excessive selenium from the soil. Areas of selenium-rich soil have been found in the northern Great Plains of North America, Ireland, Israel, China, Russia, and elsewhere. Chronic selenium poisoning (called also alkali disease) is characterized by cirrhosis of the liver, anemia, loss of hair, erosions of long bones, and emaciation. Acute selenium poisoning (called also blind staggers) is characterized by impaired vision, an unsteady gait, and increasing incoordination with respiratory failure and often death within 24 hours. Called also selenosis.
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Senecio p. seneciosis.
shellfish p. an acute intoxication caused by ingestion of bivalve mollusks contaminated with saxitoxin, a neurotoxin secreted by certain dinoflagellates, protozoa that are an important component of marine plankton. The paralytic form is caused by species of Gonyaulax, and is characterized by paresthesias of the mouth, lips, face, and limbs, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; in rare severe cases muscle weakness or paralysis and respiratory embarrassment and death may occur. The neurotoxic form is milder, self-limited, not associated with paralysis, and caused by species of Gymnodinium.
strychnine p. poisoning by strychnine, which causes excitation of all portions of the central nervous system by blocking postsynaptic inhibition of neural impulses; chronic poisoning is called strychninism and can lead to convulsions, respiratory paralysis, and death.
tempeh p. bongkrek p.
tetrachloroethane p. a form of poisoning in munition workers caused by inhalation of fumes of tetrachloroethane, and marked by toxic jaundice, headache, anorexia, and gastrointestinal disturbance.
tetraodon p. tetrodotoxism (def. 1).
thallium p. poisoning, usually of children or domestic animals, due to ingestion of thallium compounds, marked by alopecia, by a variety of neurologic and psychic symptoms, including ataxia, restlessness, delirium, hallucinations, delusions, semicoma, blindness, and by liver and kidney damage. Called also thallitoxicosis and thallotoxicosis.
TNT p. trinitrotoluene p.
tobacco p. poisoning by tobacco, usually taking the form of nicotine poisoning (q.v.). Called also tabagism and tobaccoism.
trinitrotoluene p. a form of poisoning in munition workers that work with trinitrotoluene, characterized by dermatitis, gastritis with abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, flatulence, and blood changes. Called also TNT p.
urea p. poisoning of ruminants by excessive consumption of urea, leading to hyperammonemia with tremors, incoordination, dyspnea, convulsions, and sometimes death.
whelk p. poisoning caused by ingestion of whelks that contain whelk poison (q.v.); characterized by intense headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
zinc p. that due to exposure to toxic levels of zinc. Inhalation of freshly oxidized zinc or zinc oxide fumes, as by metal workers, causes metal fume fever (q.v.). Ingestion of high levels of zinc causes gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting, and if chronic can cause hypocupremia, sideroblastic anemia, and neutropenia. Called also zincalism