• Blood
  • Severe change in acid level of blood (pH balance), which leads to damage in all of the body organs
• Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • Loss of vision
  • Severe pain in the throat
  • Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
• Gastrointestinal
  • Blood in the stool
  • Burns and possible holes in the food pipe (esophagus)
  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Vomiting
  • Vomiting blood
• Heart and blood
  • Collapse
  • Low blood pressure that develops rapidly
• Lungs and airways
  • Breathing difficulty (from breathing in the detergent)
  • Throat swelling (may also cause breathing difficulty)
• Skin
  • Burns
  • Holes (necrosis) in the skin or tissues underneath
  • Irritation

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Detergent poisoning Overview

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Detergent poisoning Treatment

Review Date: 01/30/2010
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)