Nicotine poisoning
Nicotine poisoning symptoms follow a biphasic pattern of stimulation then depression.
Symptoms follow a biphasic pattern, with initial stimulatory effects and later depressor effects.[1] Serious or fatal overdoses are rare, though nicotine poisoning can be deadly.[2] Ingesting, inhaling, or absorbing nicotine through the skin can produce toxic symptoms known as nicotine poisoning.[2]
Quick Facts
- Field
- Toxicology, emergency medicine
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Standard textbooks state a lethal dose of 60 mg or less for adults, but data indicate over 500 mg is required.[3] The review suggests the lower limit for fatal outcomes is 500–1000 mg of ingested nicotine.[4] Treatment is mainly supportive and may include activated charcoal, benzodiazepines, and atropine.[5] Nicotine's past application as an insecticide was the primary cause of poisoning cases historically.[2]
Green Tobacco Sickness, a form of nicotine poisoning, can affect tobacco harvesters who have skin contact with damp leaves.[6] Infants and young children face risks from the nicotine in e-liquid if they swallow it or get it on their skin.[7] For children, an accidental intake of as little as 6 mg of nicotine could be fatal.[4]
What the research sources say
The IPCS INCHEM source lists uses, high-risk circumstances, and occupationally exposed populations for nicotine poisoning.[8] The IPCS INCHEM source details nicotine kinetics including absorption, distribution, half-life, metabolism, and elimination.[8] The IPCS INCHEM source provides additional information on antidotes, specific preventive measures, and other topics.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Nicotine poisoning" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Nicotinic plant poisoning", Clinical Toxicology, September 2009, p. 771–781; "Fatal nicotine ingestion", The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 1991, p. 133–136; "Nicotinic plant poisoning", Clinical Toxicology, September 2009, p. 771–781; "Suicide plan by nicotine poisoning: a review of nicotine toxicity", Veterinary and Human Toxicology, December 1985, p. 495–497 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Nicotine poisoning" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Fatal nicotine ingestion", The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 1991, p. 133–136; McNally WD, "A report of five cases of poisoning by nicotine", Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine, 1920, p. 213–217; McNally WD, "A report of seven cases of nicotine poisoning", Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine, 1923, p. 83–85; "Nicotinic plant poisoning", Clinical Toxicology, September 2009, p. 771–781; "Cigarette and nicotine chewing gum toxicity in children", Human Toxicology, January 1988, p. 27–31; "Nicotiana glauca (tree tobacco en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Nicotine poisoning" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "How much nicotine kills a human? Tracing back the generally accepted lethal dose to dubious self-experiments in the nineteenth century", Archives of Toxicology, January 2014, p. 5–7 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Nicotine poisoning" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: IPCS INCHEM; "Effects of aging on acute toxicity of nicotine in rats", Pharmacology & Toxicology, July 1994, p. 1–6; "How much nicotine kills a human? Tracing back the generally accepted lethal dose to dubious self-experiments in the nineteenth century", Archives of Toxicology, January 2014, p. 5–7; "The electronic cigarette. Official statement of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) on the efficacy, safety and regulation of electronic cigarettes", Archivos de Bronconeumologia, August 2014, (we also read tha en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Nicotine poisoning" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Nicotinic plant poisoning", Clinical Toxicology, September 2009, p. 771–781; "Disposition kinetics and effects of intravenous nicotine", Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, October 1980, p. 517–522; "Nicotinic plant poisoning", Clinical Toxicology, September 2009, p. 771–781 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Nicotine poisoning" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Nicotinic plant poisoning", Clinical Toxicology, September 2009, p. 771–781; "Green-tobacco sickness. An illness of tobacco harvesters", JAMA, September 1974, p. 1880–1883 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Nicotine poisoning" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Evaluation of normal brain sodium levels in cattle", Veterinary and Human Toxicology, August 1986, p. 308–309; "Cigarette and nicotine chewing gum toxicity in children", Human Toxicology, January 1988, p. 27–31; "Acute intoxication with nicotine alkaloids and cannabinoids in children from ingestion of cigarettes", Human Toxicology, April 1983, p. 315–316; "Electronic cigarettes: product characterisation and design considerations", Tobacco Control, May 2014, p. ii4–i10; "Acute nicotine poisoning associated with a traditional remedy f en.wikipedia.org
- IPCS INCHEM. facts only, no text reused. inchem.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Nicotine poisoning (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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