MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Ammonia

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Ammonia

Contents of this page:
Definition Poisonous Ingredient Where Found Symptoms Home Treatment	Before Calling Emergency Poison Control, or a local emergency number What to expect at the emergency room Expectations (prognosis)

Definition

Poisoning from an exposure to ammonia.

Poisonous Ingredient

ammonia

Where Found

ammonia
some household cleaners
some liniments
some fertilizers

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms

from swallowing
- body as a whole
  - mouth pain (severe)
  - collapse
  - fever
- respiratory
  - cough
  - chest pain (severe)
  - wheezing
- eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  - throat pain (severe)
- gastrointestinal
  - abdominal pain (severe)
  - vomiting

from breathing fumes
- body as a whole
  - swelling of the lips
- respiratory
  - cough
  - tight chest
- eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  - temporary blindness
- skin
  - bluish colored lips and fingernails
- gastrointestinal
  - vomiting
- heart and blood vessels
  - rapid, weak pulse
- nervous system
  - restlessness
from skin or eye contact
- severe burns if contact is longer than a few minutes

Home Treatment

DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING.

If the ammonia is on the skin or in the eye, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes. If the ammonia was swallowed, give milk or water to dilute it. If the ammonia has been inhaled, take the person to fresh air.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

the patient's age, weight, and condition
the name of the product (ingredients and strengths if known)
the time it was swallowed
the amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital. See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed.

Give fluids to dilute the poison.
Use gastric lavage.
Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis)

Survival past 48 hours usually indicates recovery will occur. If chemical burns occurred in the eye, they frequently heal; however, permanent blindness may result.

Update Date: 2/23/2004

Updated by: Cherlin Johnson, M.D., Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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