Dirt ingestion

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Dirt ingestion

Definition:

Poisoning caused by ingestion of dirt.

Poisonous Ingredient:

No particular poisonous ingredients unless the dirt contains contaminants such as insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and waste disposal.

Where Found:

dirt

Symptoms:

gastrointestinal
- may cause some intestinal obstruction resulting in abdominal pain

Home Treatment:

None. Call Poison Control for further guidance.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
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 with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Treat the symptoms.

Note: The patient may not need to visit an emergency room.

Expectations (prognosis):

Recovery is very likely unless some contaminant is present that may complicate outcome.

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