Cedar leaf oil

Definition:

Cedar leaf oil is an oil found in some furniture polishes. It may taste sweet and therefore be ingested by small children. It can potentially be a toxic ingestion, so medical care should be sought immediately.



Poisonous Ingredient:
  • hydrocarbon


Where Found:
  • some furniture polishes


Symptoms:
  • Respiratory
    • Breathing difficulty (from inhalation)
    • Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)
  • Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
    • Severe pain in the throat
    • Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
    • Loss of vision
  • Gastrointestinal
    • Severe abdominal pain
    • Vomiting
    • Burns of the esophagus (food pipe)
    • Vomiting blood
    • Blood in the stool
  • Heart and blood vessels
    • Hypotension (low blood pressure) develops rapidly
    • Collapse
  • Skin
    • Irritation
    • Burn
    • Necrosis (holes) in the skin or underlying tissues


Home Treatment:
Seek emergency medical care immediately. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. Call Poison Control.

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:
See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. 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:

  • For swallowed poison
    • Placement of a tube down the nose and into the stomach (a nasogastric tube, or an NG tube) to wash out the stomach
    • Activated charcoal administration
    • Endoscopy -- the placement of a camera down the throat to see the extent of burns to the esophagus and the stomach
    • Give IV fluids
    • Admission to the hospital
    • Give an antidote
    • Treat the symptoms
  • For inhaled poisons
    • A breathing tube may need to be inserted
    • Oxygen
    • Admission to the hospital or to the intensive care unit
    • Bronchoscopy (inserting a camera down the throat into the airway to evaluate the extent of burns to the airway and lungs)
  • For skin exposure
    • Irrigation (washing of the skin), perhaps every few hours for several days
    • Skin debridement (surgical removal of burned skin)
    • Admission or transfer to a hospital that specializes in burn care


Expectations (prognosis):

Extensive damage to the lungs and kidneys may occur. Time to treatment is very important.




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