MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Hair spray lacquer

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Hair spray lacquer

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

This poisoning is from inhalation of a hair spray.

Poisonous Ingredient

Denatured alcohol
Carboxylmethylcellulose
Polyvinyl alcohol
Polyvinylpyrrolidone

Where Found

Various hair sprays

Symptoms

Respiratory
- Difficulty breathing (from inhalation or allergic reaction)
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Burning pain in the throat
- Blurred vision
- Burns to the eye
Skin
- Rash
Gastrointestinal
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea (watery, bloody)
Heart and blood vessels
- Low blood pressure
Nervous system
- Stupor
- Coma

Home Treatment

For any toxic exposure or allergic reaction, seek medical care immediately. Give the patient milk or water to dilute the aluminum salts, unless instructed otherwise by a health care provider or the patient is unable to swallow due to convulsions or unconsciousness.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

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

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:

Treat the allergic reaction with diphenhydramine and prednisone.
For swallowed poison:
Placement of a tube down the nose and into the stomach (a nasogastric tube, or an NG tube) to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage).
Activated charcoal administration
Endoscopy -- the placement of a camera down the throat to see the extent of burns to the esophagus and the stomach.
Give IV fluids.
Admission to the hospital.
Give an antidote.
Treat the symptoms.
For skin exposure:
Irrigation (washing of the skin), perhaps every few hours for several days.
Skin debridment (surgical removal of burned skin).
Admission or transfer to a hospital that specializes in burn care.

Expectations (prognosis)

Extensive damage to the mouth, throat, and stomach are possible. The ultimate outcome depends on the extent of this damage. Damage can continue to occur to the esophagus and stomach for several weeks after the alkali is swallowed. Death may occur up to a month after the alkali was swallowed.

Update Date: 2/12/2004

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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