MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Water colors

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Water colors

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 caused by an overdose of water colors.

Poisonous Ingredient

Water colors are generally considered non-toxic.

Where Found

Various water color products

Note: This list is not inclusive of brand names.

Symptoms

HOME WATER COLORS ARE NOT CONSIDERED TOXIC.
Several tubes of the artist's water colors would need to be consumed to see any toxic affects from the aniline.

Home Treatment

If swallowed: For gum cambogia, give milk or water to decrease possible harm to the stomach and intestinal tract. This also delays its absorption.

If on skin or clothing:

Remove clothes.
Wash with soap and water.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

The patient's age, weight, and condition
The name of the product (as well as the ingredients and strength, 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. Bring the poison container with you to the emergency room. A trip to the emergency room will normally not be necessary.

What to expect at the emergency room

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

For home water colors:
- Observe the patient.
- Treat the symptoms.
For aniline:
- Induce vomiting.
- Administer activated charcoal.
- Use gastric lavage.
- Maintain breathing.
- Treat the symptoms.
For gum cambogia:
- Give fluids.
- Use gastric lavage.
- Induce vomiting.
- Administer a cathartic (bowel evacuator).
- Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis)

For home water colors -- Recovery very likely.
For aniline -- Recovery is normally very likely if patient can survive the first 24 hours.
For gum cambogia -- Survival past 48 hours usually indicates recovery will occur.

Update Date: 4/16/2004

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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