MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Cobalt

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Cobalt

Contents of this page:
Alternative names 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)

Alternative names

Cobalt chloride; Cobalt oxide; Cobalt sulfate

Definition Return to top

Poisoning from an overdose of cobalt.

Poisonous Ingredient Return to top

Cobalt

Where Found Return to top

Magnets in pigment manufacture
In paint drier
A metallic component of vitamin B-12
Exposure is seen in tool sharpeners, miners, and grinders

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms Return to top

From swallowing:

Body as a whole
- Pain
- Weakness
Respiratory
- Shortness of breath
Skin
- Itching
- Cyanosis
Gastrointestinal
- Vomiting
- Nausea
Heart and blood vessels
- Low blood pressure
Endocrine
- Metabolic acidosis
- Hypothyroidism
- Goiter

From inhalation:

Respiratory
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
Skin
- Rash

Home Treatment Return to top

If overdosage is caught within approximately 1 hour, lavage and activated charcoal are usually the treatment choices. For oral ingestion, iron can often decrease the absorption of cobalt. Call Poison Control for guidance.

Before Calling Emergency Return to top

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 Return to top

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 Return to top

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

Give an antidote.
Treat the symptoms.

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

If treated promptly under proper medical care poisoning is rarely severe, unless the toxicity is due to a long-time accumulation. In that case the ultimate outcome depends on what damage has occurred in body organs affected by the metal.

Update Date: 7/31/2003

Updated by: Ari Schwell, M.D., Director, Emergency Department of the Episcopal Campus of Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.