MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Diazinon poisoning

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Diazinon poisoning

Contents of this page:
Alternative Names Definition Poisonous Ingredient Where Found Symptoms	Home Care Before Calling Emergency Poison Control What to Expect at the Emergency Room Outlook (Prognosis)

Alternative Names

Bazinon poisoning; Diazol poisoning; Gardentox poisoning; Knox-Out poisoning; Spectracide poisoning

Definition Return to top

Diazinon is an insecticide, a product used to kill or control bugs. Poisoning can occur if you swallow this product.

For information on other insecticide poisonings, see Insecticides.

Poisonous Ingredient Return to top

Diazinon

Where Found Return to top

Diazinon is a specific ingredient found in some insecticides. In 2004, the FDA banned the sale of household products containing diazinon.

Symptoms Return to top

Heart and blood
- Low or high blood pressure
- Slow or rapid heart rate
- Convulsions
Lungs
- Breathing difficulty
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Small pupils (unreactive to light)
- Tearing, increased
Skin
- Redness
- Irritation
- Sweating
Gastrointestinal
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Nervous system
- Headache
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- Coma
- Weakness
- Tremor

Home Care Return to top

Call the Poison Control Center for appropriate treatment instructions. If the insecticide is on the skin, wash the area thoroughly for at least 15 minutes.

Before Calling Emergency Return to top

Determine the following information:

Patient's age, weight, and condition
Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
Time it was swallowed
Amount swallowed

Poison Control Return to top

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

See: National Poison Control Center.

What to Expect at the Emergency Room Return to top

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The patient may receive:

Breathing help
Irrigation (washing of the skin), perhaps every few hours for several days
Medicine (antidote) to reverse the effects of the poison
Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage)

Outlook (Prognosis) Return to top

Patients that continue to improve over the first 4 to 6 hours (after medical treatment) usually recover.

Update Date: 10/24/2007

Updated by: Stephen C. Acosta, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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