MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Para-aminobenzoic acid overdose

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Para-aminobenzoic acid overdose

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

PABA

Definition Return to top

This poisoning is from an overdose of para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA).

Poisonous Ingredient Return to top

Para-aminobenzoic acid

Where Found Return to top

Some sunscreen products
Other skin care products

Symptoms Return to top

Note: most toxic reactions to PABA are from allergic reactions, not overdoses.

Respiratory
- Slowed breathing (in extremely high doses)
- Shortness of breath (more common in allergic reactions)
Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Eye irritation may occur after eye exposure
Skin
- Rash (allergic)
Gastrointestinal
- Nausea and/or vomiting
Nervous system (all effects are with extremely high doses)
- Dizziness
- Stupor
- Coma

Home Treatment Return to top

If you suspect that someone might be having an allergic reaction to PABA or may have been exposed to a toxic dose of PABA, call Poison Control and seek medical care immediately. Irrigate or wash any skin which may have been exposed to PABA. Flush eyes with large amounts of water for eye exposure. Do not induce vomiting.

Before Calling Emergency Return to top

Determine the following information:

The patient's age, weight, and condition
Name of 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 Return to top

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:

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 debridement (surgical removal of burned skin)
- Admission or transfer to a hospital that specializes in burn care
For allergic reactions
- Use of diphenhydramine
- Use of prednisone

Expectations (prognosis) Return to top

Ingestion of sunscreen products containing PABA rarely causes symptoms, except in very large doses. Some patients may be allergic to PABA.

Update Date: 1/29/2004

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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