Intoxication - Symptoms, Treatment, Signs

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Intoxication

The content of the article:

1. Kinds
2. Causes
3. Signs of intoxication
4. Diagnostics
5. Intoxication treatment
6. Prevention
7. Possible consequences

Intoxication is a violation of the body's vital functions caused by exposure to toxins (poisons) of endo- or exogenous origin.

Source: podrobnosti.ua

Many diseases are accompanied by symptoms of intoxication, such as kidney failure or intestinal infection. But intoxication itself can cause damage to internal organs and the nervous system (toxic hepatitis, toxic nephritis).

Kinds

Depending on the method of penetration of the poison (toxin) into the human body, two types of intoxication are distinguished:

• endogenous - toxins are formed directly in the body itself;
• exogenous - toxins enter the body from the environment.

By the duration of contact with a toxic substance:

• hyperacute intoxication - a significant intake of toxin into the body, which leads to irreversible damage to the central nervous system and death within several hours;
• acute intoxication - develops as a result of short-term or single contact of the body with a toxic substance and manifests itself with pronounced clinical symptoms;
• subacute intoxication - a dysfunction of the body is caused by several repeated effects of the toxin on the body; the clinical picture is less pronounced than in the acute form;
• chronic intoxication - its development is associated with chronic (long-term) exposure to toxins; proceeds with an erased clinical picture, and in some cases is practically asymptomatic.

Causes

Exogenous intoxication can be caused by exposure to toxic substances of organic and inorganic origin. The following poisons most often cause poisoning:

• halogens (fluorine, chlorine);
• heavy metals and their salts (lead, mercury, cadmium, vanadium);
• arsenic compounds;
• beryllium;
• selenium;
• organophosphorus compounds (dichlorvos);
• paint and varnish products;
• poisons of animal (for example, snake) and plant (for example, mushroom) origin;
• toxins formed during the life of microorganisms (for example, causing foodborne toxicoinfection);
• acids and alkalis;
• medications;
• alcohol.

Toxic substances enter the body through parenteral administration, through the mucous membranes and skin, gastrointestinal tract, upper respiratory tract. In a number of cases, the development of intoxication is associated not directly with the substance itself that has entered the body, but with its metabolites, that is, the products of its processing in the body.

The cause of endogenous intoxication is the formation of toxic products caused by volumetric tissue damage. This damage can be caused by:

• inflammatory processes;
• radiation damage;
• burns;
• trauma;
• malignant neoplasms in the decay stage;
• some diseases of an infectious nature.

Source: otravlenie.su

Endogenous intoxication also develops in the case of a violation of the body's excretory processes, for example, renal failure is always accompanied by the development of uremic intoxication associated with the accumulation of urea and creatinine in the blood.

The cause of endogenous intoxication can be the excessive production of biologically active substances by the body (thyroid hormones, adrenaline). This explains the development of intoxication syndrome with thyrotoxicosis or chromaffinoma.

Metabolic disorders are always accompanied by the accumulation of toxic metabolites in the patient's body, causing endogenous intoxication. In liver diseases, such endogenous toxins are free bilirubin, phenol, ammonia, and in diabetes mellitus - ketone bodies.

Many pathological processes in the body are accompanied by the formation of toxic products of free radical oxidation of fats, which also leads to the development of endogenous intoxication.

Signs of intoxication

The clinical signs of intoxication are varied. Their manifestation is determined by many factors, first of all, they matter:

• chemical and physical properties of the toxin;
• the affinity of the toxin for organs, tissues, cell receptors;
• the mechanism of entry of the toxin into the body;
• concentration of a toxic substance;
• the frequency with which contact with the toxin is carried out (one-time, repeatedly or constantly).

The severity of signs of intoxication largely depends on the personal reactivity of the patient's body, that is, on the correct functioning of the immune, excretory system, the system of endogenous chemical detoxification, the state of internal and external barriers.

Acute intoxication is characterized by:

• intense headache;
• aches in muscles and joints;
• a sharp increase in body temperature up to 39-40 ° C, often accompanied by chills;
• nausea and vomiting.

Exposure to a person of especially toxic substances leads to damage to the central nervous system, signs of which are convulsions, psychomotor agitation, impaired consciousness up to a deep coma.

Symptoms of subacute intoxication are less pronounced than acute. Headache and muscle pain are moderate, body temperature rises to 37-38 ° C. Patients complain of increased fatigue, drowsiness, and dyspeptic symptoms.

Signs of chronic intoxication are:

• irritability;
• depression;
• fast fatiguability;
• nervousness;
• sleep disorders (insomnia, interrupted sleep, daytime sleepiness);
• persistent headaches;
• significant changes in body weight;
• severe dyspepsia (unstable stools, flatulence, belching, heartburn).

Chronic intoxication has a negative effect on the condition of the mucous membranes and skin, resulting in bad breath, dermatitis, furunculosis, acne.

Intoxication causes a weakening and dysfunction of the immune system, which causes an increase in the frequency of allergic, autoimmune and infectious diseases.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of intoxication does not cause difficulties, it is much more difficult to establish the type of toxin that caused the dysfunction of the body. For this purpose, they resort to laboratory tests aimed at detecting the toxin itself or the products of its metabolism in the biological fluids of the body.

A biochemical blood test is carried out, the results of which make it possible to identify changes in the functions of systems and organs associated with exposure to toxic substances.

Intoxication treatment

The first step in the treatment of intoxication is to stop further contact with the toxin and remove it from the body as soon as possible. Depending on the type of toxic substance, the mechanism of its damaging action and the method of penetration into the body, the following detoxification methods are used:

• the introduction of antidotes and serums;
• plentiful drink;
• gastric lavage;
• taking laxatives;
• oxygen therapy;
• intake of intestinal adsorbents;
• exchange blood transfusion;
• forced diuresis;
• hemosorption;
• plasmapheresis.

Against the background of intoxication in patients, the functions of the digestive system deteriorate, which is associated with a decrease in the secretion of digestive enzymes, the development of intestinal dysbiosis. Therefore, patients are prescribed enzyme preparations (Festal, Panzinorm, Creon) and prebiotics.

In order to neutralize free radicals and reduce their damaging effects on cell membranes, antioxidants and multivitamins are indicated.

Diet therapy is of great importance in the complex treatment of intoxication. The diet should fully cover the body's needs for basic plastic substances and energy. The meals included in the menu should be high-calorie, easily digestible, and should not irritate the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. The diet is prescribed by the doctor individually for each patient, depending on the existing disorders caused by intoxication:

• table number 1 according to Pevzner - shown with a predominant lesion of the stomach;
• table number 4 - with intestinal damage;
• table number 5 - with toxic hepatitis;
• table number 7 - with intoxication due to acute or chronic renal failure;
• table number 13 - indicated for patients with acute infectious diseases.

Prevention

Considering that intoxication can be caused by numerous toxins, their prevention is multifaceted. It includes the following main activities:

• timely identify and treat infectious and somatic diseases;
• eat only high-quality food products that have not expired;
• use only high-quality drinking water;
• keep medicines out of the reach of children with mandatory labeling of each drug indicating the name, dosage, expiration date;
• do not eat unknown plants and mushrooms;
• when going to nature, wear clothes that protect as much as possible from possible bites by poisonous insects and snakes;
• carefully observe the rules and safety requirements when working with toxic substances.

Possible consequences

Severe intoxication is accompanied by serious damage to vital organs and systems, which leads to the following complications:

• violation of water and electrolyte balance;
• infectious toxic shock;
• gastrointestinal bleeding;
• acute pancreatitis;
• pneumonia;
• acute renal failure;
• acute liver failure;
• the development of a coma, death.

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Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author

Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.

Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.

The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!