Copper poisoning

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Copper poisoning

Definition:

Poisoning from an overdose of copper.

Poisonous Ingredient:

Copper

Where Found:

Copper wire
Some aquarium products
Clinitest tablets (see Clinitest tablets overdose)
Vitamin and/or mineral supplements

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms:

Acute overdose by ingestion may cause vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and jaundice. External contamination from copper can result in hair discoloration (green).

Body as a whole
- Burning sensation
- Metallic taste
- Pain
- Shock
- No urine output
- Convulsions
- Fever
- Muscular aches
- Chills
- Weakness
- Anemia
Yellow eyes
Yellow skin
Gastrointestinal
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Diarrhea

Home Treatment:

Seek emergency medical care immediately.

The normal treatment is to induce vomiting unless the patient is unconscious or experiencing convulsions. Before inducing vomiting, contact Poison Control to verify that is the correct treatment.

If instructed to induce emesis, proceed as follows or as otherwise instructed:

Give the usual dose of ipecac syrup: 15 mL (1 tablespoon) for children and 30 mL (2 tablespoons) for an adult.
Follow with 1/2 cup (4 oz) of water for children or 8-12 oz. of water for adults.
Repeat if vomiting has not occurred in 1/2 hour.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

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

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Bring a sample with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

Induce vomiting
Administer activated charcoal
Use gastric lavage
Administer an antidote
Dialysis
Treat the symptoms

Expectations (prognosis):

If treated promptly and properly, copper poisoning is rarely severe. If toxicity is due to long-time accumulation, the ultimate outcome depends on the extent of damage in body organs affected by the metal.

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