tetanus
strychnine muscle contractions
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Strychnine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
· Strychnine is a white, odorless, bitter crystalline powder that
can be taken by mouth, inhaled (breathed in), or mixed in a solution and given
intravenously (injected directly into a vein).
· Strychnine is a strong poison; only a small amount is needed to produce
severe effects in people. Strychnine poisoning can cause extremely serious
adverse health effects, including death.
Where strychnine is found and how it is used
· The primary natural source of strychnine is the plant Strychnos
nux-vomica. This plant is found in southern Asia (India, Sri Lanka, and
East Indies) and Australia.
· In the past, strychnine was available in a pill form and was used
to treat many human ailments.
· Today, strychnine is used primarily as a pesticide, particularly
to kill rats.
· Uncommonly, strychnine is found mixed with “street” drugs such as
LSD, heroin, and cocaine.
How you could be exposed to strychnine
· Following release of strychnine into water, you could be exposed
by drinking contaminated water.
· Following contamination of food with strychnine, you could be
exposed by eating the contaminated food.
· Strychnine could be smoked or snorted as a component of street drugs.
· Poisoning has been reported from strychnine given intravenously
and through the nose.
How strychnine works
· The extent of poisoning caused by strychnine depends on the amount
and route of strychnine exposure and the person’s condition of health at the time
of the exposure.
· Strychnine prevents the proper operation of the chemical that
controls nerve signals to the muscles.
The chemical
controlling nerve signals works like the body’s “off switch” for muscles. When
this “off switch” does not work correctly, muscles throughout the body have
severe, painful spasms.
Even though the
person’s consciousness or thinking are not affected at first (except that the
person is very excitable and in pain), eventually the muscles tire and the
person can’t breathe.
Immediate signs and symptoms of strychnine exposure
· Following the ingestion (swallowing) of strychnine, symptoms of
poisoning usually appear within 15 to 60 minutes.
· People exposed to low or moderate doses of strychnine by any route
will have the following signs or symptoms:
o
Agitation
o
Apprehension or fear
o
Ability to be easily startled
o
Restlessness
o
Painful muscle spasms possibly leading to fever and to kidney and
liver injury
o
Uncontrollable arching of the neck and back
o
Rigid arms and legs
o
Jaw tightness
o
Muscle pain and soreness
o
Difficulty breathing
o
Dark urine
o
Initial consciousness and awareness of symptoms
· People exposed to high doses of strychnine may have the following
signs and symptoms within the first 15 to 30 minutes of exposure:
o
Respiratory failure (inability to breathe), possibly leading to
death
o
Brain death
·
Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a
person has been exposed to strychnine.
What the long-term health effects are
If the person
survives the toxic effects of strychnine poisoning, long-term health effects
are unlikely.
However,
long-term effects may result from damage caused by the poisoning (for example,
brain damage from low oxygen, kidney failure). People severely affected by
strychnine poisoning are not likely to survive.
How you can protect yourself, and what you should do if you are
exposed to strychnine
· Since ingestion is likely to be the primary route of exposure, if
poisoning is suspected, avoid any further ingestion and call 911 immediately.
· Recovery from strychnine exposure is possible with early hospital
treatment. Therefore, the best thing to do is get medical care as quickly as
possible.
· Do not induce vomiting or give fluids to drink.
· If you think strychnine may have been released into the air, the
best thing to do is avoid it.
If the
strychnine release was indoors, get out of the building. If the release was
outdoors, move away from the area of the release, stay upwind if possible, and
seek higher ground.
Quickly moving
to an area where fresh air is available is highly effective in reducing the
possibility of death from exposure to a chemical that has been released into
the air.
· If you are near a release of strychnine, emergency coordinators
may tell you to either evacuate the area or “shelter in place” inside a
building to avoid being exposed to the chemical.
For more
information on evacuation during a chemical emergency, see “Facts About Evacuation.” For more information
on sheltering in place during a chemical emergency, see “Facts About Sheltering in Place.”
· Removing your clothing:
o
Quickly take off clothing that has strychnine on it. Any clothing
that has to be pulled over the head should be cut off the body instead of
pulled over the head.
o
If you are helping other people remove their clothing, try to
avoid touching any contaminated areas, and remove the clothing as quickly as possible.
· Washing yourself:
o
As quickly as possible, wash any strychnine from your skin with
large amounts of soap and water. Washing with soap and water will help protect
people from any chemicals on their bodies.
o
If your eyes are burning or your vision is blurred, rinse your
eyes with plain water for 10 to 15 minutes.
If you wear
contacts, remove them and put them with the contaminated clothing. Do not put
the contacts back in your eyes (even if they are not disposable contacts).
If you wear
eyeglasses, wash them with soap and water. You can put your eyeglasses back on
after you wash them.
· Disposing of your clothes:
o
After you have washed yourself, place your clothing inside a
plastic bag. Avoid touching contaminated areas of the clothing
If you can’t
avoid touching contaminated areas, or you aren’t sure where the contaminated
areas are, wear rubber gloves or put the clothing in the bag using tongs, tool
handles, sticks, or similar objects.
Anything that
touches the contaminated clothing should also be placed in the bag. If you wear
contacts, put them in the plastic bag, too.
o
Seal the bag, and then seal that bag inside another plastic bag.
Disposing of your clothing in this way will help protect you and other people
from any chemicals that might be on your clothes.
o
When the local or state health department or emergency personnel
arrive, tell them what you did with your clothes. The health department or
emergency personnel will arrange for further disposal. Do not handle the
plastic bags yourself.
· Seek medical attention right away. Dial 911 and explain what has
happened.
How strychnine exposure is treated
Treatment
consists of removing the drug from the body (decontamination) and getting
supportive medical care in a hospital setting.
Supportive care
includes intravenous fluids (fluids injected directly into a vein), medications
for convulsions and spasms, and cooling measures for high temperature.
How you can get more information about strychnine
You can contact
one of the following:
·
Regional poison control center: 1-800-222-1222
·
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
o
Public Response Hotline (CDC)
§
800-CDC-INFO
§
888-232-6348 (TTY)
o
E-mail inquiries: cdcinfo@cdc.gov
The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protects people’s health and
safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health
decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and
promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national, and
international organizations.
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