Lye poisoning; Caustic soda poisoning

• Airways and lungs
  • Breathing difficulty (from inhalation)
  • Lung inflammation
  • Sneezing
  • Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)
• Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • Severe pain in the throat
  • Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
  • Vision loss
• Esophagus, intestines, and stomach
  • Blood in the stool
  • Burns of the esophagus (food pipe) and stomach
  • Diarrhea
  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Vomiting, possibly bloody
• Heart and blood
  • Collapse
  • Low blood pressure (develops rapidly)
  • Severe change in pH (too much or too little acid in the blood)
• Skin
  • Burns
  • Irritation
  • Necrosis (holes) in the skin or underlying tissues

Review Date: 09/29/2009
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)