Before you kick the year off with a new diet and exercise regimen, watch tips on how to do it correctly.
Information and Resources
Iron Poisoning
Iron Poisoning Overview
Iron poisoning occurs when a person, usually a child, swallows a large number of iron-containing pills, most often vitamins.
Acute iron poisoning mainly involves children younger than 6 years who swallow pediatric or adult vitamins containing iron. These children may not be able or willing to tell you what and how much they swallowed.
Free Sialic Acid Storage Disorders
Important It is possible that the main title of the report Free Sialic Acid Storage Disorders is not the name you expected.
Read the Free Sialic Acid Storage Disorders article > >
Iron salt is available in multiple preparations. For instance, ferrous sulfate is available as drops, syrup, elixir, capsules, and tablets.
Iron preparations are widely used and are available without a prescription and may be housed in bottles with or without child resistant closures.
- The amount of iron that will cause poisoning depends upon the size of the child. An 8-year-old may show no symptoms from an amount that would cause serious symptoms in a 3-year-old. Symptoms appear at doses greater than 10 mg/kg (based on the body weight of the child).
- Iron is available in different oral forms.
- A child may show no symptoms after eating a number of pills that might have looked like candy. The only evidence may be an opened vitamin bottle. If you know, or even suspect, that a child has eaten tablets, you should consult a hospital’s emergency department or a poison control center regarding a possible iron poisoning.
Iron Poisoning Causes
- Iron pills, especially children’s multivitamin tablets, can look like candy to children.
- Intentional overdose can occur among adults, but is rare.
Iron Poisoning Symptoms
Symptoms of iron poisoning usually become evident within 6 hours after an excessive amount of iron is swallowed.
- Iron corrodes your intestinal lining and is a direct irritant to the stomach.
- People with iron poisoning can have the following symptoms:
- Severe vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Dehydration and lethargy if not treated adequately
- A child’s vomit or stool may be bloody.
- Often, after supportive care, the gastrointestinal symptoms appear to improve 6-24 hours after their onset.
- If profound poisoning is inadequately treated, shock and death can occur.
- The amount of iron ingested may give a clue to potential toxicity. The therapeutic dose for iron deficiency anemia is 3-6 mg/kg/day. Toxic effects begin to occur at doses above 10-20 mg/kg of elemental iron. Ingestions of more than 50 mg/kg of elemental iron are associated with severe toxicity.
- A 325-mg tablet of ferrous sulfate has 65 mg (20%) of elemental iron
- A 325-mg tablet of ferrous gluconate has 39 mg (12%) of elemental iron
- A 325-mg tablet of ferrous fumarate has 107.25 mg (33%) of elemental iron
WebMD Medical Reference from eMedicineHealth
Top 12 Health Topics-
1.
-
2.
-
3.
-
4.
-
5.
-
6.
-
7.
-
8.
-
9.
-
10.
-
11.
-
12.
Top 12 Videos-
1.
-
2.
-
3.
-
4.
-
5.
-
6.
-
7.
-
8.
-
9.
-
10.
-
11.
-
12.
Hot Topics
- Which Drugstore Tooth Whiteners Work Best?
- Kids' Top 6 Worries and How to Fix Them
- Surprising Headache Triggers
- Safe Ways to Lose Weight Fast
- Counting Carbs When You Use Insulin
- Fibromyalgia: Symptoms and Treatments
- CML: How It Affects Your Body
- 6 Sex Mistakes Men Make
- Dupuytren's Contracture: What You Need to Know
- Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
WebMD Video: Now Playing
FROM CBS NEWS
Online dating downsides, romantic tattoo gone wrong: HealthPop Valentine's Day video
Is online dating better than doing it the old fashioned way? Also, an 83-year-old woman gets a new jaw from a 3D printer; And, turns out - tattooing your penis isn't a good idea.
