Solder

• 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)

Definition   

Solder is a compound used to connect electric wires or other metal parts together. It can cause skin burns, or it can be extremely toxic if ingested in high amounts.

Poisonous Ingredient   

• lead
• tin
• zinc
• mild acids
• ethylene glycol

Where Found   

• solder

Symptoms   

For acids found in solders:

• burns of mouth and throat

• body as a whole
  • metallic taste
  • skin paleness
  • tremor
  • twitching
  • convulsions
  • paralysis
  • muscle aches
  • fatigue
  • weakness
  • joint pain
  • excessive thirst
  • incoordination
• eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • jaundice (eyes appear yellow)
  • vision abnormalities
• skin
  • yellow skin
• gastrointestinal
  • loss of appetite
  • weight loss
  • constipation
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • abdominal pain
• heart and blood vessels
  • low blood pressure
  • high blood pressure
• nervous system
  • easily excitable
  • coma
  • hallucinations
  • lack of desire to do anything
  • irritable
  • uncooperative
  • headache
  • sleeping difficulty
  • confusion

• body as a whole
  • burns in the mouth and throat
  • convulsions
  • collapse
  • blood in urine
  • decreased urine output
  • no urine output
• eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • jaundice (eyes appear yellow)
• skin
  • yellow skin
• gastrointestinal
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea

For ethylene glycol:

• the amount of ethylene glycol in solder is small, but the substance is extremely toxic
• renal
  • kidney failure
• blood
  • extreme disturbances in blood pH which can lead to multi-organ failure and death.

Home Treatment   

Wash from skin or eyes. For any ingestion, seek emergency medical care immediately. Do not induce vomiting.

Before Calling Emergency   

Determine the following information:

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

Poison Control, or a local emergency number   

See Poison Control numbers. Bring the poison container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room   

• For swallowed poison
  • Immediate hemodialysis may be required for survival
  • Placement of a tube down the nose and into the stomach (a nasogastric tube, or an NG tube) to wash out the stomach
  • 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 inhaled poisons
  • A breathing tube may need to be inserted
  • Oxygen
  • Admission to the hospital or to the intensive care unit
  • Bronchoscopy (inserting a camera down the throat into the airway to evaluate the extent of burns to the airway and lungs)
• 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

Expectations (prognosis)   

• for lead
  • Complete recovery takes a year or more.
  • Many who do not die may suffer permanent brain damage.
• for tin and zinc
  • If the amount of zinc or tin is low, recovery should be within approximately 6 hours.
• for the acids
  • The length and extent of recovery depends on the extent of tissue damage that has occurred.
• for ethylene glycol
  • Ethylene glycol is extremely toxic. Survival and prognosis depend on the amount ingested and time to treatment.