Ethylene glycol poisoning occurs quite often. This mainly happens to people who abuse alcohol, especially in the northern regions of the country. This poisoning is quite dangerous, because it can lead to death.
Properties of a chemical compound and its use
The chemical formula of the compound is CH 2 (OH) 2 . Physically, ethylene glycol is a colorless liquid that has a sweetish taste and which dissolves easily in medical alcohol. This substance reacts well with organic acids, as a result of such reactions volatile esters are formed, which can poison a person by inhalation.
Ethylene glycol is used in the following areas of human activity:
- production of dynamite, which maintains its working properties at low temperatures;
- production of antifreeze - coolant for a car;
- electrolyte production for various capacitors;
- manufacturing of plastics and cellophane;
- production of paints and solvents for them;
- pharmaceutical and textile industries, as well as perfumes.
Most alcoholics are aware of the composition of antifreeze, which is a mixed ethylene glycol and ethanol. Many people who are addicted to alcohol often use it to extract alcohol. The main share of ethylene glycol poisoning is associated with this fact. Note that the composition of antifreeze, in addition to these chemicals, includes a variety of additives that enhance the harmful effects of this fluid on the body. So, the regular use of antifreeze products leads to loss of vision.
The effect of ethylene glycol on the processes in the body
If only 100 ml of this substance gets into the human body, then such a dose will be lethal, but, depending on the individual characteristics of a person, even 50 ml may be enough for a person to quickly die.
Ethylene glycol poisoning occurs when a substance gets inside. From the very first minutes, it begins to destroy tissues and individual human cells, the nervous system, kidneys and other organs. The accumulation of ethylene glycol products in the liver leads to a violation of many of its functions. According to forensic science, ethylene glycol poisoning causes a violation in the body of all metabolic processes, which include oxidative processes, protein synthesis from amino acids, and a change in the acidity of the environment in the stomach, which leads to the impossibility of the action of vital reaction accelerators - enzymes.
Main symptoms
After a person has ingested one or another dose of ethylene glycol, the symptoms of poisoning begin to appear after 2-3 hours or even after 12 hours. In this case, a person can die, being in an unconscious state, which is one of the symptoms of poisoning.
After a couple of hours, the following signs of ethylene glycol poisoning are observed in the victim:
- the appearance of convulsive muscle contractions throughout the body;
- the occurrence of hallucinations;
- partial or total hearing loss;
- coma condition.
In this case, cerebral edema develops, which leads to a quick fatal outcome.
Severity level of poisoning
Depending on the amount of ethylene glycol that has got into the body, certain harmful processes occur in it. In general, there are three types of poisoning:
- A mild degree is characterized by dizziness, general weakness of the body, nausea and aching in the lower back.
- The average degree manifests itself already in the difficulty of independent movement of the victim, impaired visual function, partial loss of consciousness.
- A severe degree leads to complete loss of consciousness, weakening of the pulse, the appearance of convulsions and a high probability of a quick death.
Poisoning development
Depending on the amount of poison that has entered the body, and on the characteristics of the individual metabolism, the following processes occur:
- At high doses, if a person has not died within the first 24 hours, he dies within one month due to developing renal failure.
- If the dose of the poison was insignificant, then the person will live, but he will always have chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys, as well as a partial damage to the central and peripheral nervous systems. For example, in the kidneys, ethylene glycol products are excreted in the form of crystals, which ultimately leads to the appearance of stones in the urinary system.
Statistics show that 50% of people who have been poisoned by ethylene glycol die in the first month.
Not only renal failure occurs during poisoning with this poison, but also impaired lung function, up to their edema, and serious malfunctions of the cardiovascular system. All these processes develop within 72 hours after poisoning. Disorders in the work of the heart can be transformed into chronic heart failure, which will lead to the death of a person in the next 5-6 years.
Vapor poisoning
Ethylene glycol can lead to poisoning of the human body in another way: through inhaled fumes, as well as penetrate through the pores of the skin. This situation occurs in the chemical production of this product.
Poisoning by ethylene glycol vapors in people associated with its production leads to the following consequences:
- diseases of the autonomic nervous system develop;
- the vital activity of all body systems is significantly reduced, weakness appears in the muscles, a lethargic and sleepy state, in some cases, loss of consciousness may occur;
- changes in the composition of blood occur, in particular, the number of leukocytes in it decreases, and red blood cells lose their ability to transfer oxygen effectively;
- there are problems with vision, the eyes become drier, conjunctivitis and other diseases of the eyeball develop;
- airway problems (bronchitis, laryngitis and others) are manifested and exacerbated;
- the gastrointestinal tract is disturbed, which leads to nausea, vomiting and severe pain in the abdominal region.
If a person has several of these signs of ethylene glycol poisoning, then you should immediately consult a doctor, because health is at risk. In addition, for such "harmfulness" the bosses must pay their workers a large sum of money.
Diagnostics
If a person has received hallucinations, convulsive muscle contractions, nausea and vomiting after ingestion of alcohol, which was obtained from non-freezing automobile fluid, then he should be taken to the hospital quickly, since the processes that are occurring are likely signs (clinic) of ethylene glycol poisoning.
The doctor first of all pays attention to the following external changes:
- Does the thickness of the veins on the retina increase and does the optic nerve lighten;
- whether there is a reaction of the pupils to light exposure;
- whether the victim is unconscious;
- whether the respiratory rate is increased, wheezing appears;
- whether the heart rate is slow and the pulse is weakened.
If the doctor received positive answers to the above questions during the examination, then there is a serious poisoning with ethylene glycol.
In addition to an external examination, a blood test may also be required for the content of glucose, ethanol and other chemical compounds in it. A blood test is designed to clarify the diagnosis, since many external signs of poisoning with ethylene glycol and, for example, formic alcohol are similar.
Treatment methods
To speed up the removal of poison products from the body, victims are prescribed diuretics. The best natural remedies that accelerate the removal of fluid from the body are tomato, cucumber and blueberry juices, as well as watermelon. In addition, the patient is advised to drink plenty of water.
Once an accurate diagnosis is made, treatment for ethylene glycol poisoning consists in applying the hemodialysis procedure to the victims. This procedure allows you to remove the products of the decay of poison from the kidneys, and is also a necessary prevention for the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Ethanol is the best antidote
No matter how strange it may sound, the most reliable antidote for ethylene glycol poisoning is ethyl alcohol, which is offered to a patient with this diagnosis at the rate of 0.1 l per body weight of 60 kg. The course of treatment with alcohol lasts for 5-6 days.
The idea of using this antidote is that it has similar chemical properties as ethylene glycol, but it is not as toxic. The ingestion of alcohol helps in the removal of products of a toxic substance due to the ongoing substitution reactions in the body.
Note that during the mandatory hemodialysis procedure, the level of ethanol in the blood of the victim is kept high.
First aid
It is not always possible to quickly deliver the injured person to the hospital. In such cases, it is required to independently take the necessary measures and provide first aid. The most effective are the following activities:
- It is necessary to provoke vomiting, as well as rinse the stomach with clean water.
- Since ethylene glycol greatly increases the acidity in the stomach, the victim should be offered to drink a solution of baking soda of absolutely any concentration.
- In the first hours after poisoning, the intake of sorbing substances is able to absorb a large number of toxic compounds. The most popular is activated carbon. For greater effectiveness, it is recommended to give at least one tablet of coal per 10 kg of weight.
- The introduction of glucose into the blood is another measure that can alleviate the condition of the victim. If there is no way to inject glucose intravenously, then you can offer a person to eat something sweet.
- The patient needs to ensure complete peace, as well as warm him, for example, covering with a warm blanket or using a hot heating pad.