Metal cleaner poisoning
Metal cleaners are very strong chemical products that contain acids and other chemicals. This article discusses poisoning from swallowing or breathing in such products.
This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.
Poisonous Ingredient
Metal cleaners contain organic compounds called hydrocarbons and other chemicals, including:
- 1,2-butylene oxide
- Boric acid
- Cocoyl sarcosine
- Dicarboxylic fatty acid
- Dimethoxymethane
- Dodecanedioic acid
- N-propyl bromide
- Sodium hydroxide
- T-butanol
Where Found
Various metal cleaners contain these compounds.
Symptoms
Below are symptoms of metal cleaner poisoning in different parts of the body.
AIRWAYS AND LUNGS
- Breathing difficulty (from breathing in the chemical)
- Throat swelling (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
HEART AND BLOOD
- Collapse
- Low blood pressure (shock)
Shock
Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...
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STOMACH AND INTESTINES
- Abdominal pain -- severe
- Blood in the stool
- Burns of the food pipe (esophagus)
- Diarrhea
-
Nausea and vomiting (possibly with blood)
Nausea and vomiting
Nausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...
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NERVOUS SYSTEM
-
Depression
Depression
Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...
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-
Drowsiness
Drowsiness
Drowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times whic...
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-
Headache
Headache
A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better...
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-
Seizures
Seizures
A seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...
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- Weakness
SKIN
- Burns
- Irritation
- Necrosis (holes) in the skin or underlying tissues
Home Care
Get medical help right away. Do not make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care provider.
If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.
If the person swallowed the metal cleaner, give them water or milk right away, unless poison control or a provider tells you not to. Do not give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include vomiting, convulsions, or a decreased level of alertness.
If the person breathed in the poison, move them to fresh air right away.
Before Calling Emergency
Have this information ready:
- Person's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (ingredients, if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
Poison Control
Your local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
Poison control center
For a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleThis is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What to Exect at the Emergency Room
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure.
Vital signs
Vital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...
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- Blood and urine tests
- Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs
-
Chest x-ray
Chest x-ray
A chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.
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Electrocardiogram (ECG)
Electrocardiogram
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.
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Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomach
Endoscopy
Endoscopy is a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera and light on the end of it. This instrument is called an...
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Treatment may include:
- Fluids through a vein (IV).
- Washing of the skin (irrigation). Perhaps every few hours for several days.
- Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage).
Gastric lavage
Gastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Surgery to remove burned skin.
- Breathing support, including a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine (ventilator).
Ventilator
A ventilator is a machine that breathes for you or helps you breathe. It is also called a breathing machine or respirator. The ventilator: Is attac...
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Outlook (Prognosis)
How well a person does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. Swallowing this type of poison can have severe effects on many parts of the body. The faster a person gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery.
Burns in the airway or gastrointestinal tract can lead to tissue necrosis, resulting in infection, shock, and death, even several months after the substance was first swallowed. Scars may form in these tissues leading to long-term difficulties with breathing, swallowing, and digestion.
If metal cleaner gets into the lungs (aspiration), serious and possibly permanent lung damage can occur.
Aspiration
Aspiration means to draw in or out using a sucking motion. It has two meanings:Breathing in a foreign object (for example, sucking food into the air...
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Aronson JK. Organic solvents. In: Aronson JK, ed. Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs. 16th ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier; 2016:385-389.
Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.
Review Date: 11/2/2023
Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.