Nicotine

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Nicotine

Definition:

Poisoning from an overdose of nicotine.

Poisonous Ingredient:

Nicotine

Where Found:

Animal tranquilizers
Some brands of insecticide
Tobacco leaves
Cigarettes
Chewing tobacco
Pipe tobacco
Nicotine gum (Nicorette)
Nicotine-transdermal-patches (Habitrol, Nicoderm)

Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.

Symptoms:

Muscular twitching
Weakness
Convulsions
Coma
Fainting
Difficulty breathing
Rapid breathing
No breathing
Abdominal cramps
Vomiting
Drooling (increased salivation)
Burning sensation in mouth
Rapid and pounding heartbeat followed by slow heart rate
Elevated blood pressure followed by decreased blood pressure
Confusion
Depression
Headache
Agitation, restlessness, or excitement

Home Treatment:

Seek emergency medical care immediately. Call Poison Control. You may be instructed to INDUCE VOMITING.

If there is skin exposure, wash the area well with soap and water.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

The patient's age, weight, and condition
Name of product (as well as the ingredients and strength if known)
When it was swallowed or inhaled
The amount swallowed or inhaled

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

See poison control centers for the national telephone number. Take any containers with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

May administer activated charcoal.
May administer a laxative.
May use gastric lavage (pump the stomach).
Will treat other symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis):

Overdose may cause seizures. Recovery depends on the dose, the amount of time before treatment, and severity of seizures. An overdose may be fatal. Unless there are complications, long-term effects from nicotine are uncommon.

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