Beeswax

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Beeswax

Definition:

Poisoning from an ingestion of beeswax.

Poisonous Ingredient:

Beeswax, other than potentially causing intestinal obstruction in rare cases of extremely large ingestions, is considered relatively non-toxic.

Where Found:

Beeswax

Symptoms:

May cause some gastrointestinal obstruction with resulting abdominal pain.

Home Treatment:

Call Poison Control for further guidance.

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

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Bring a sample of the beeswax with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Treat the symptoms.

Note: The patient may not need to be seen in the emergency room.

Expectations (prognosis):

Since beeswax is considered relatively nontoxic, recovery is very likely.

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