Chlormerodrin overdose

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Chlormerodrin overdose

Definition:

Poisoning from an overdose of chlormerodrin.

Poisonous Ingredient:

chlormerodrin (a form of mercury)

Where Found:

Neohydrin, Mercloran (mercurial diuretics)

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms:

body as a whole
- thirst
- metallic taste
- less urine output
- no urine output
- salivation
- red, inflamed areas in the mouth
- shock
respiratory
- extreme difficulty breathing
eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- swelling within the throat that may be severe
gastrointestinal

Home Treatment:

Seek emergency medical care immediately.

The standard procedure is to induce vomiting unless the patient is unconscious or experiencing convulsions. Before inducing vomiting, contact Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for verification.

If instructed to induce vomiting, the standard procedure is as follows:

Give ipecac syrup: 15 milliliters (ml) or 1 TABLEspoonful for children and 30 ml (2 TABLEspoonsful) for an adult.
Follow with 1/2 glass or 4 ounces (oz.) of water for children or 8 to 12 oz. of water for adults.
Repeat 1 more time in 1/2 hour if vomiting has not occurred.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
the name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
the time it was swallowed
the amount swallowed
if the medication was prescribed for the patient

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

In the event of an accidental exposure, seek medical care immediately. Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

Administer activated charcoal.
Use gastric lavage.
Administer a cathartic (a medication used to evacuate the bowels).
Give an antidote.
Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outcome depends on the amount of exposure and how long it took before proper treatment began. If the poisoning has been over a long period of time, recovery may not be complete.

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