Wart remover poisoning

Definition

Wart removers are medicines used to eliminate warts, which are small, usually painless growths on the skin caused by a virus. Wart remover poisoning occurs when someone accidentally or intentionally swallows or uses more than the normal or recommended amount of this medication.

This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

Poisonous Ingredient

• Salicylates
• Other acids

Where Found

• Clear Away
• Clear Away Plantar
• Compound W
• DuoFilm
• DuoFilm patch
• DuoPlant for Feet
• Freezone
• Gordofilm
• Hydrisalic
• Keralyt
• Lactisol
• Lactisol-Forte
• Maximum Strength Wart-Off
• Mediplast
• Mosco
• Occlusal
• Occlusal-HP
• Off-Ezy Wart Remover
• Panscol
• Paplex Ultra
• PediaPatch
• Sal-Acid
• Sal-Plant
• Salacid
• Salactic Film
• Trans-Plantar
• Trans-Ver-Sal
• Vergo
• Verukan
• Viranol
• Wart Remover

Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.

Symptoms

• Airways and lungs
  • Breathing may stop
  • Rapid breathing
  • Shallow breathing
• Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • Eye irritation
  • Loss of vision
  • Ringing in the ears
  • Throat swelling
• Kidneys
  • Kidney failure
• Nervous system
  • Collapse (from swallowing substance)
  • Convulsions (from swallowing substance)
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Fever (from swallowing substance)
  • Hallucinations
  • Hyperactivity
• Skin
  • Rash (usually an allergic reaction)
  • Mild burn (in extremely high doses)
• Stomach and intestines
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting, possibly with blood

Home Care

Seek immediate medical help. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by Poison Control or a health care professional. Flush the eyes with water and remove any solution that remains on the skin.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

• Patient's age, weight, and condition
• The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
• Time it was swallowed
• The amount swallowed

Poison Control

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

See: Poison control center - emergency number

What to Expect at the Emergency Room

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. If the substance was swallowed, the patient may receive:

• Activated charcoal
• Blood tests
• Fluids by IV
• Sodium bicarbonate - a medicine (partial antidote) to help neutralize and remove the chemicals (salicylates) from the body
• Tube placed down the nose and into the stomach

If the poisoning occurred through skin exposure, the patient may receive:

• Washing (irrigation) of the skin, perhaps every few hours for several days
• Surgical removal of burned skin (debridement)

Outlook (Prognosis)

How well a patient does depends on how much poison entered the blood and how quickly treatment was received. Patients can recover if the effect of the poison can be neutralized. Kidney damage can be permanent.

References

Yip L. Salicylates. In: Tintinalli JE, Kelen GD, Stapczynski JS, Ma OJ, Cline DM, eds. Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide. 6th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2004:chap 170.

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