Viruses are the most common cause of food poisoning, especially in autumn and winter, and even 80% of food poisoning. In this article, we intend to pay more attention to it.
Statistics show that in recent years, drug poisoning has become more prevalent than other types of poisoning, followed by pesticide and alcohol poisoning.
There are misconceptions among the people about the poisoned person and how to deal with him. Some believe that he should be made to vomit, and others give a lot of milk or water to the injured, which sometimes makes things worse than they really are.
Dr. Shahin Shadnia, Associate Professor of Clinical Toxicology and Poisoning and Associate Professor of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, told Jamjam: “Before any action, we must be 100% sure that the person has been poisoned.” In addition, it is important to know what kind of poisoning the person has in any action. According to the head of the ICU of Loghman Hospital poisoning and vice president of the Iranian Toxicology and Poisoning Association, there are no statistics on drug and chemical poisoning in Iran and its comparison with other countries.
Any substance can be toxic
The entry of any toxic substance into the body can cause poisoning. It can enter the body and mucous membranes orally, by inhalation or injection, and can cause poisoning. “Toxic is a substance that, when it enters the body, affects the cells of the body, or disrupts their function or structure, and ultimately leads to cell death,” says Dr. Shadnia. By this definition, any substance can be toxic, and what determines what toxins are is the dose and amount used. This fellowship in clinical toxicology and poisoning provides an example: Drugs, despite their therapeutic effect at doses prescribed by your doctor, can cause poisoning if taken in excess. Even water, which we know as the source of life, can cause poisoning if consumed in large quantities. Inhaling too much oxygen, the lack of which can kill humans, can also cause poisoning in newborns.
There are two types of poisoning
“We can not say exactly which types of poisoning are more common, and it depends on whether we are talking about drug poisoning or chemical poisoning,” explains Dr. Shadnia. “Poisoning can be broadly divided into two groups; Drug poisoning and chemical poisoning. The most common drug poisoning occurs with sedatives and hypnotics such as diazepam. After that, poisoning with painkillers such as acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin and است is common.
Sometimes poisoning occurs with the use of cardiac drugs. According to him, the main causes of chemical poisoning are compounds that are abused; Such as drugs, stimulants such as amphetamines and their derivatives and…. In addition, pesticide poisoning is common; From agricultural pesticides to any other pesticide used to kill pests.
Poisoning at different ages
The cause of poisoning varies in different age groups. Dr. Shadnia adds: Poisoning in children under the age of seven is usually accidental; This means that the child may be accidentally poisoned by home-made medicines or detergents out of childish curiosity. In addition, intoxication is seen in the elderly.
The Clinic of Toxicology and Poisoning believes that the cause of intoxication in this age group in most cases is that these people usually take different drugs per day due to age conditions and underlying diseases, and may experience drug interactions. Sometimes, due to old age and memory problems, they forget to take a medicine and may take it again and get accidental poisoning.
Intentional poisoning, accidental poisoning
Dr. Shadnia goes on to point out that intoxication is intentional, not accidental, in the age group of 12 years to older: Sometimes this poisoning is due to the use of substances intended to commit suicide, and sometimes the person does it to attract attention.
He adds: “Of course, some accidental poisonings may happen to everyone; Such as carbon monoxide poisoning, which is caused by improper use of heating devices or the use of non-standard heaters and combustion materials. He believes that drug poisoning can also be intentional, because the person consciously uses the drug for pleasure, not suicide, but there is a possibility of poisoning, and this can not be accidental.
Pay attention to these symptoms
There are signs that if you see yourself or those around you, you can suspect that you have been poisoned; Dr. Shadnia describes these symptoms as follows; First, nausea and vomiting, a nausea that many people commonly refer to as a sign of poisoning. Especially if it happened for no particular reason and suddenly, the mind usually turns to food poisoning.
Another symptom that can arouse suspicion of poisoning is a decrease in the level of consciousness, seizures and severe restlessness, that is, sudden and unexplained neurological symptoms.
Poisoning can also be suspected whenever a person’s heart rhythm changes suddenly and he or she develops cardiovascular symptoms without a history of heart disease. According to Dr. Shadnia, in general, if a person has no history of the disease and suddenly develops symptoms, poisoning should be considered as one of the diagnoses.
What to do with a poisoned person?
In response to this question, Dr. Shadnia says: If you have encountered a person who you suspect has been poisoned, all you have to do is call the emergency number (No. 115) and the Drugs and Toxins Information Center (No. 1490) to get to the first center. Be treated. Some people believe that if poisoning is suspected, the person should be breastfed or induced to vomit.
This fellowship explains clinical toxicology and poisoning: The issue of action when we are really sure someone is poisoned is different from when we have doubts about it. When in doubt, we should not give milk, water or any other liquid to the patient, but if we know that it is 100% poisoned, but we do not know what substance it was caused by, we should call the Drugs and Toxins Information Center at 1490 before any intervention. Let’s take
