Iron Poisoning

Iron Poisoning General Information

Iron Poisoning is the general term used to describe the ingestion of a large quantity of pills containing iron as an active ingredient, such as vitamins and other nutritional supplements. Such cases are most common among children, and in such cases it is common that they will not assist the family members or the examining health care specialist by saying what they have swallowed and how much of it, either because they are not able to do so or, more commonly, because they are not willing to.

Iron-based products are common, thus easily accessible. Preparations containing iron salt can be found under a wide range of medicines, such as drops, syrup, capsules, tablets or elixirs. They are widely used and are generally available without a prescription, and in many cases the bottles containing iron based products do not have any special opening system, resistant to children. The amount of iron that will cause poisoning in a child largely depends on the child’s age and weight. For example, an amount that would cause poisoning in a 4 year old may not be sufficient to poison an 8 year-old. It is generally accepted that this condition appears when the ingested medication contains a total iron dose of 10 mg/kg or more.

In some cases, Iron Poisoning is asymptomatic. If you suspect that your child may be affected with this type of poisoning, or if you notice that the quantity of an iron-based medication has suddenly been reduced in one or more of your containers, it is highly advised that you contact your personal health care specialist or the local poisons center, or that you immediately take him to the nearest hospital for immediate medical attention.

Iron Poisoning Symptoms

In cases of Iron Poisoning, symptoms begin to appear within 6 hours from the ingestion of the medication. While it is known that iron will corrode the intestinal lining and will directly irritate the stomach, patients suffering from poisoning with iron-based medication will present related symptoms, such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, severe vomiting and also blood may appear in children’s vomit or stool. If the case goes untreated for a longer period of time, the patient may also experience lethargy and dehydration, and there is a high risk of shock and death if appropriate treatment is not applied. Typically, the gastrointestinal symptoms will improve within 6 to 24 hours after the patient begins undergoing the appropriate treatment for Iron Poisoning.

Iron Poisoning is typically diagnosed by performing a general physical examination of the patient suspected to have been poisoned, and also by observing him or her for any symptoms. Blood testing is also common, in order to determine iron concentration, blood sugar and white blood cell concentrations in the patient. X-rays can also be performed to confirm the presence of iron pills in the gastrointestinal tract of the patient; however this may not always be a reliable procedure as the pills may have already been digested, and of course this is completely useless if the patient has ingested a supplement under the form of elixir or syrup. If no symptoms appear within the first 6 hours from the ingestion of the iron-based medication, the patient is considered to have not been poisoned or to have experienced a very mild case of poisoning.

Iron Poisoning Treatment

The most common procedure that is applied in cases where the Iron Poisoning has been confirmed is administering the patient a strong laxative, in an attempt to clean the patient’s bowel from any remains of the ingested drug and any undigested pills. In severe poisoning cases, the examining health care specialists will typically continue with a treatment based on IV chelation, a procedure that consists in the administering of IV deferoxamine mesylate (Desferal). This drug acts by binding to iron in a cell, which is then excreted from the body through urine. Although this drug can be administered in shots as well as IV, it is preferred that it is given to the patient under the form of IV as it is easier to adjust the doses. Common side effects associated with this drug are low blood pressure, as well as urine changing color to orange or red. This treatment is typically continued for 24 hours when treating children; however the timeframe may be extended in the case of adult patients.

Another procedure that may be employed in cases of Iron Poisoning is orogastric lavage; however this method is only effective if applied within 1 hour from the ingestion of the medicines. It is basically a draining of the contents of the stomach, however complications may occur from the insertion of the draining tube, and also it is possible that pills may not fit through the opening of the lavage tube if they have not been disintegrated, so again this method may not be best suited in the case the patient has ingested a large number of pills. The patient may also be administered activated charcoal. Although this is not directly effective in cases of Iron Poisoning, as activated charcoal does not bind to iron, it may be useful in supporting further treatment by allowing for easier absorption of other medications.

If Iron Poisoning is suspected, it is highly advised that you bring the patient under medical care as soon as possible. Call your local poisons center and your personal health care specialist in order to obtain further directions. It is not recommended to try and induce vomiting in the patient, either by administering medications such as ipecac syrup or manually, as it may pose additional difficulties in diagnosing the patient. Also, it is recommended that you provide the examining health care specialists with either the medicine container or with detailed information regarding the drugs that have been ingested.

In order to prevent cases of Iron Poisoning, it is highly advised that you take the following steps in ensuring your family’s safety. First of all, you need to ensure that all medication is stored safely away from the reach of children. Child-resistant closures for the medicine containers may prove helpful; however it is not guaranteed that it will stop a child from successfully opening the container. Proper education of the children regarding the risks of poisoning, as well as the differences between candy and medicine should be employed.