Health Encyclopedia

Insecticide

Definition

Insecticide is a chemical that kills bugs. Insecticide poisoning occurs when someone swallows or breathes in this substance.

Poisonous Ingredient

Most household bug sprays contain chemicals called pyrethrins. These chemicals are generally not harmful, but can cause life-threatening breathing problems if breathed in.

Industrial insecticides, often found in household garages and greenhouses, contain many dangerous substances, including:

Carbamates
Organophosphates
Paradichlorobenzenes (mothballs)

Where Found

Various insecticides (bug killers)

Symptoms

Symptoms of pyrethrin poisoning:

Lungs and airways
- Breathing difficulty
Nervous system
- Coma
- Convulsions
Skin
- Irritation
- Redness or swelling

Symptoms of organophosphate or carbamate poisoning:

Bladder and kidneys
- Increased urination
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Increased salivation (drooling)
- Increased tearing
- Small pupils
Gastrointestinal
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Heart and blood
- Slow heart rate
Lungs and airways
- Breathing difficulty
Nervous system
- Anxiety
- Coma
- Convulsions
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Weakness
Skin
- Blue lips and fingernails

Note: Serious poisoning can occur from just touching the organophosphate without gloves or without washing hands soon after exposure. Large amounts of the chemical soak through the skin unless you are protected. Life-threatening paralysis and death can occur very quickly.

Symptoms of paradichlorobenzene poisoning:

Gastrointestinal
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Muscles
- Muscle spasms

Note: Paradichlorobenzene mothballs are not very toxic. They have replaced the more toxic camphor and naphthalene types.

Home Treatment

Seek immediate medical help. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by Poison Control or a health care professional.

If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.

If the person breathed in the poison, immediately move him or her to fresh air.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

Patient's age, weight, and condition
Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
Time it was swallowed
Amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

See: Poison control center - emergency number

What to expect at the emergency room

The health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. You may receive:

Activated charcoal
Breathing tube
Bronchoscopy -- camera down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs
Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to see burns in the esophagus and the stomach
Fluids by IV
Medicine (antidote) to reverse the effect of the poison
Oxygen
Tube through the mouth into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)
Surgical removal of burned skin (skin debridement)
Washing of the skin (irrigation) -- perhaps every few hours for several days

Expectations (prognosis)

How well you do depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster you get medical help, the better the chance for recovery.

Swallowing such poisons can have severe effects on many parts of the body.

It is a good sign that recovery will occur if patients continue to improve over the first 4 - 6 hours after medical treatment.

Although the symptoms are the same for carbamate and organophosphate, recovery is more difficult for organophosphate.

Review Date:2/7/2008
Reviewed By:Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

ADAM Quality A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

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