Shellac

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Shellac

Home Treatment:

Seek emergency medical care immediately. DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. Dilute by drinking water.

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:

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See Poison Control centers for telephone numbers and addresses. Bring the poison container with you to the emergency room.

What to expect at the emergency room:

Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

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):

Methanol is extremely toxic. As little as 2 TABLEspoons can be fatal to a child, while 2 to 8 oz. can be fatal for adults. The ultimate outcome for the patient depends on how much was swallowed and how soon appropriate care was given.