What kind of toxin is cyanide

This will help your doctor or other healthcare provider determine the appropriate decontamination method. In the case of a fire or other emergency incident, rescue personnel will use protective gear like face masks, eye shields, and double gloves to enter the area and take you to a safe location. If you have ingested cyanide, you may be given activated charcoal to help absorb the toxin and safely clear it from your body.

Cyanide exposure can affect oxygen intake, so your doctor may administer percent oxygen via a mask or endotracheal tube. The cyanide antidote kit consists of three medications given together: amyl nitrite, sodium nitrite, and sodium thiosulfate. The amyl nitrite is given by inhalation for 15 to 30 seconds, while sodium nitrite is administered intravenously over three to five minutes.

Intravenous sodium thiosulfate is administered for about 30 minutes. Hydroxocobalamin will detoxify cyanide by binding with it to produce nontoxic vitamin B This medication neutralizes cyanide at a slow enough rate to allow an enzyme called rhodanese to further detoxify cyanide in the liver. If you suspect you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of severe cyanide poisoning, seek immediate emergency medical attention. Your outlook will depend on the type of cyanide present, the dose, and how long you were exposed.

Early diagnosis and treatment are key to reducing your risk of complications. Moderate levels of acute or chronic exposure may also be resolved with quick diagnosis and treatment. In severe cases, symptoms are often sudden and life-threatening. Immediate emergency medical attention is necessary. Learn more about arsenic poisoning, including symptoms to look out for, the most common causes, and how to treat it.

Do you have a stomach bug or food poisoning? Discriminating between the two can be difficult. A stomach bug and food poisoning can be commonly…. Roundup is a popular weed killer with glyphosate as the main ingredient. The use of Roundup is highly controversial, and some claim that it can cause…. Pesticides are used in farming to kill weeds and insects. How you can protect yourself, and what to do if you are exposed to cyanide Since breathing it is likely to be the primary route of exposure to cyanide, leave the area where the cyanide gas was released and get to fresh air.

Quickly moving to an area where fresh air is available is highly effective in reducing exposure to cyanide gas. If the cyanide gas was released outdoors, move away from the area where it was released. If you cannot get out of the area where the cyanide gas was released, stay as low to the ground as possible.

If the release of cyanide gas was indoors, get out of the building. For more information on evacuation during a chemical emergency, see Facts About Evacuation. For more information on sheltering in place during a chemical emergency, see Facts About Sheltering in Place. If you think you may have been exposed to cyanide, you should remove your clothing, rapidly wash your entire body with soap and water, and get medical care as quickly as possible.

Removing your clothing: Quickly take off clothing that may have cyanide on it. Any clothing that has to be pulled over the head should be cut off the body instead of pulled over the head. If you are helping other people remove their clothing, try to avoid touching any contaminated areas, and remove the clothing as quickly as possible.

Washing yourself: As quickly as possible, wash any cyanide from your skin with large amounts of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will help protect people from any chemicals on their bodies. If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes.

If you wear contacts, remove them and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put the contacts back in your eyes even if they are not disposable contacts.

If you wear eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on after you wash them. If you are wearing jewelry that you can wash with soap and water, you can wash it and put it back on.

If it cannot be washed, it should be put with the contaminated clothing. Disposing of your clothes: After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a plastic bag. Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing. An alternative method is to put the clothes in the bag using tongs, tool handles, sticks, or similar objects. Anything that touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too. Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag.

The health effects from high levels of cyanide exposure can begin in seconds to minutes. Some signs and symptoms of such exposures are:. The severity of health effects depends upon the route and duration of exposure, the dose, and the form of cyanide.

Moving away from the point of exposure to fresh air is an important first step in treating cyanide exposure. Cyanide poisoning can be further treated by medical professionals. Often patients are given oxygen. Two antidotes sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulfate are usually used to stop the effects of serious cyanide poisoning. Other drugs may be necessary to control additional health effects of cyanide such as seizures.

People who experience serious signs and symptoms will need immediate hospital care, especially individuals who have "passed out" or are unconscious. Any delay could result in death. While an elevated blood cyanide concentration may indicate that someone has been exposed to cyanide, laboratory testing for cyanide exposure will not be useful in making emergency treatment decisions.

A patient exposed to cyanide should not expect medical personnel to do these tests before treatment. Treatment should not be delayed if signs and symptoms are present and exposure is believed to have occurred. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Toxicological Profile for Cyanide. Division of Toxicology, U. Department of Health and Human Services. Medical Management Guidelines for Hydrogen Cyanide. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Emergency Preparedness and Response. Chemical Casualty Care Division. This fact sheet is based on the most current information.

It may be updated as new information becomes available. Navigation menu. What are cyanides? What are the properties of cyanide? How are cyanides used? How can people be exposed to cyanides?