BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuParaquat poisoningParaquat lungParaquat (dipyridylium) is a highly toxic weed killer (herbicide). In the past, the United States encouraged Mexico to use it to destroy marijuana plants. Later, research showed this herbicide was dangerous to workers who applied it to the plants.This article discusses the health problems that can occur from swallowing or breathing in paraquat.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. Causes In the United States, paraquat is classified as "restricted commercial use." People must obtain a license to use the product. Breathing in paraquat may cause lung damage and can lead to a disease called paraquat lung. Paraquat causes damage to the body when it touches the lining of the mouth, stomach, or intestines. You can get sick if paraquat touches a cut on your skin. Paraquat may also damage the kidneys, liver, and esophagus (the tube that food goes down from your mouth to your stomach).If paraquat is swallowed, death can quickly occur. Death may occur from a hole in the esophagus, or from severe inflammation of the area that surrounds the major blood vessels and airways in the middle of the chest (mediastinum).Long-term exposure to paraquat may cause scarring of the lungs called pulmonary fibrosis. This makes it hard to breathe. Symptoms Symptoms of paraquat poisoning include:Burns and pain in the throat Choking Coma (lack of responsiveness) Difficulty breathing Difficulty breathingBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Nosebleed Seizures Shock (extremely low blood pressure) ShockShock 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...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Shortness of breath Shortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Stomach pain Vomiting, including vomiting blood Exams and Tests You will be asked if you have been exposed to paraquat. Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.Your health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Tests that may be done include:Blood and urine tests Chest x-ray Electrocardiogram (ECG) ElectrocardiogramAn electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Bronchoscopy (tube through the mouth and throat ) to view any lung damage BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Endoscopy (tube through the mouth and throat ) to look for any damage to the esophagus and stomach EndoscopyEndoscopy 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...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment There is no specific treatment for paraquat poisoning. The goal is to relieve symptoms and treat complications. If you are exposed, first aid measures include:Removing all contaminated clothing. If the chemical touched your skin, wash the area with soap and water for 15 minutes. Do not scrub hard, because that could break your skin and let more of the paraquat absorb into your body. If the paraquat got into your eyes, flush them with water for 15 minutes. If you have swallowed paraquat, get treated with activated charcoal as quickly as possible in order to decrease the amount absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Sicker people may need a procedure called hemoperfusion, which filters the blood through charcoal to try to remove paraquat from the lungs. At the hospital, you will likely receive:Activated charcoal by mouth or a tube through the nose into the stomach if the person presents for help within an hour of ingesting the poison Breathing support, including oxygen, tube through the mouth into the lungs, and breathing machine (ventilator) Fluids through a vein (IV) Medicine to treat symptoms Outlook (Prognosis) The outcome depends on how severe the exposure is. Some people may develop mild breathing-related symptoms and have a full recovery. Others may have permanent changes in their lungs. If a person swallowed the poison, death is likely without immediate medical care. Possible Complications These complications can occur from paraquat poisoning:Lung failure Holes or burns in the esophagus Inflammation and infection in the chest cavity, affecting vital organs and blood vessels Kidney failure Scarring of the lungs When to Contact a Medical Professional If you believe you have been exposed to paraquat, seek medical care right away.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 number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article This 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. Prevention Read labels on all chemical products. Do not use any that contain paraquat. Stay away from areas where it may be used. Keep all poisons in their original container and out of reach from children.Open ReferencesReferencesKuschner WG, Blanc PD. Acute responses to toxic exposures. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 103.Welker KL, Thompson TM. Pesticides. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 152.AllVideoImagesTogLungs - illustration The major features of the lungs include the bronchi, the bronchioles and the alveoli. The alveoli are the microscopic blood vessel-lined sacks in which oxygen and carbon dioxide gas are exchanged.LungsillustrationLungs - illustration The major features of the lungs include the bronchi, the bronchioles and the alveoli. The alveoli are the microscopic blood vessel-lined sacks in which oxygen and carbon dioxide gas are exchanged.LungsillustrationRelated Information Lung disease(Condition)Substance use(Special Topic)Respiratory(Special Topic)Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(Condition) Review Date: 7/1/2023 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. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Paraquat poisoningParaquat lungParaquat (dipyridylium) is a highly toxic weed killer (herbicide). In the past, the United States encouraged Mexico to use it to destroy marijuana plants. Later, research showed this herbicide was dangerous to workers who applied it to the plants.This article discusses the health problems that can occur from swallowing or breathing in paraquat.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. Causes In the United States, paraquat is classified as "restricted commercial use." People must obtain a license to use the product. Breathing in paraquat may cause lung damage and can lead to a disease called paraquat lung. Paraquat causes damage to the body when it touches the lining of the mouth, stomach, or intestines. You can get sick if paraquat touches a cut on your skin. Paraquat may also damage the kidneys, liver, and esophagus (the tube that food goes down from your mouth to your stomach).If paraquat is swallowed, death can quickly occur. Death may occur from a hole in the esophagus, or from severe inflammation of the area that surrounds the major blood vessels and airways in the middle of the chest (mediastinum).Long-term exposure to paraquat may cause scarring of the lungs called pulmonary fibrosis. This makes it hard to breathe. Symptoms Symptoms of paraquat poisoning include:Burns and pain in the throat Choking Coma (lack of responsiveness) Difficulty breathing Difficulty breathingBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Nosebleed Seizures Shock (extremely low blood pressure) ShockShock 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...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Shortness of breath Shortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Stomach pain Vomiting, including vomiting blood Exams and Tests You will be asked if you have been exposed to paraquat. Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.Your health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Tests that may be done include:Blood and urine tests Chest x-ray Electrocardiogram (ECG) ElectrocardiogramAn electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Bronchoscopy (tube through the mouth and throat ) to view any lung damage BronchoscopyBronchoscopy is a test to view the airways and diagnose lung disease. It may also be used during the treatment of some lung conditions.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Endoscopy (tube through the mouth and throat ) to look for any damage to the esophagus and stomach EndoscopyEndoscopy 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...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment There is no specific treatment for paraquat poisoning. The goal is to relieve symptoms and treat complications. If you are exposed, first aid measures include:Removing all contaminated clothing. If the chemical touched your skin, wash the area with soap and water for 15 minutes. Do not scrub hard, because that could break your skin and let more of the paraquat absorb into your body. If the paraquat got into your eyes, flush them with water for 15 minutes. If you have swallowed paraquat, get treated with activated charcoal as quickly as possible in order to decrease the amount absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Sicker people may need a procedure called hemoperfusion, which filters the blood through charcoal to try to remove paraquat from the lungs. At the hospital, you will likely receive:Activated charcoal by mouth or a tube through the nose into the stomach if the person presents for help within an hour of ingesting the poison Breathing support, including oxygen, tube through the mouth into the lungs, and breathing machine (ventilator) Fluids through a vein (IV) Medicine to treat symptoms Outlook (Prognosis) The outcome depends on how severe the exposure is. Some people may develop mild breathing-related symptoms and have a full recovery. Others may have permanent changes in their lungs. If a person swallowed the poison, death is likely without immediate medical care. Possible Complications These complications can occur from paraquat poisoning:Lung failure Holes or burns in the esophagus Inflammation and infection in the chest cavity, affecting vital organs and blood vessels Kidney failure Scarring of the lungs When to Contact a Medical Professional If you believe you have been exposed to paraquat, seek medical care right away.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 number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.Poison control centerFor a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article This 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. Prevention Read labels on all chemical products. Do not use any that contain paraquat. Stay away from areas where it may be used. Keep all poisons in their original container and out of reach from children.Open ReferencesReferencesKuschner WG, Blanc PD. Acute responses to toxic exposures. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 103.Welker KL, Thompson TM. Pesticides. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 152.