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Shocking Statistics on Accidental Poisonings: Why 76.9% of Toxic Exposures Are Unintentional?
Poisoning is the harmful effects of toxic substances entering the body. A poison is any chemical substance that can harm or kill living organisms. Poisoning can occur by swallowing, inhalation, injection, or absorption through the skin. Toxicology is the study of the symptoms, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of poisoning.
Level of exposure to toxicants
When an organism is exposed to a poison, the symptoms that follow are closely related to the extent of exposure.
Acute Contact
Acute poisoning refers to one or more harmful exposures of an organism to a toxicant within a short period of time, with symptoms appearing within 14 days of exposure.
Chronic exposure
Chronic poisoning refers to repeated exposure of an organism to a poison over a long period of time, with symptoms appearing gradually or with a delayed development. Chronic poisoning most often occurs with toxins that bioaccumulate or biomagnify, such as mercury and lead.
Poisoning methods
Accidental poisoning
According to the 2020 NPDS report from U.S. poison centers, 76.9% of poison exposure incidents were accidental, and the rest were intentional or unexpected. Many of these incidents result from taking an incorrect medication by mistake, or mistakenly repeating a dose.
Toxins in Industry and War
Nerve gases are synthetic substances used in industry or warfare that are specifically designed to cause harm to living organisms. They can paralyze a person or shut down organ function within seconds, rapidly leading to death.
Pesticide Exposure
Most biocides, including pesticides, are designed to target specific organisms as poisons. Although acute or less noticeable chronic poisoning may occur on non-target organisms, toxic substances such as pesticides can also cause harm to those who apply them.
Poisoning
Many substances considered poisons are toxic only indirectly through poisoning. For example, "wood alcohol" or methanol is not toxic but is converted in the liver to toxic formaldehyde and acetic acid.
Precautions
Under the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), safety-oriented government agencies in various countries have established the practice of using pictorial symbols when labeling toxic substances. The symbol for hazardous substances that are toxic usually includes a skull and crossed bones.
Treatment methods
For anyone who may have been exposed, it is strongly recommended to seek medical help, especially from a nearby poison control center. It is recommended that when providing information to medical personnel, include the poison, the patient's age, weight, and other medications they are taking, as well as the symptoms of the illness.
Conclusion
After understanding the various ways and causes of poisoning, we should always be vigilant. How can we reduce the risk of these unintentional poisonings in our daily lives?
