BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuAsphalt cement poisoningAsphalt; PavementAsphalt is a brownish-black liquid petroleum material that hardens when it cools. Asphalt cement poisoning occurs when someone swallows asphalt. If hot asphalt gets on the skin, serious injury can occur. 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 The substances in asphalt that can be harmful are:Hydrocarbons Industrial glues Industrial solvents Tar Where Found Asphalt is found in:Road paving materials Roofing materials Tile cementsAsphalt may also be used for other purposes. Symptoms Below are symptoms of asphalt poisoning in different parts of the body.EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATLoss of vision Severe pain in the throat Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongueHEART AND BLOODCollapse Low blood pressure that develops rapidly (shock)LUNGS AND AIRWAYSBreathing difficulty (from breathing in asphalt) Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)SKINBurns Irritation Holes (ulcers) in the skin or tissues under the skinSTOMACH AND INTESTINESBlockage in the intestines Blood in the stool Blood in the stoolBlack or tarry stools with a foul smell are a sign of a problem in the upper digestive tract. It most often indicates that there is bleeding in the ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Burns of the food pipe (esophagus) Severe abdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Vomiting (may contain blood) Home Care Seek medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to.If the person swallowed asphalt, give them water or milk right away, unless 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. 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 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 ...Read 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. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.The person may receive:Blood and urine tests. Breathing support, including giving oxygen through a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine (ventilator). Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to look for burns in the airways and lungs. Chest x-ray. ECG (heart tracing). Endoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomach. Fluids through vein (by IV). Products to dissolve the asphalt. Medicines to treat symptoms. Surgery to remove burned skin (debridement). Washing of the skin (irrigation). This may need to be done every few hours for several days. Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much asphalt they swallowed and how quickly they receive treatment. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery. Hot asphalt cools very quickly and is difficult to get off the skin. Serious burns can easily occur from the extreme heat. Construction workers who work with asphalt should wear protective clothing.Asphalt is hard to swallow, but it may cause serious damage.Delayed injury may occur, including a hole forming in the throat, esophagus, or stomach. This can lead to severe bleeding and infection. Surgical procedures may be needed to treat these complications.If asphalt gets in the eye, ulcers may develop in the cornea, the clear part of the eye. This can cause blindness.Open ReferencesReferencesTheobald JL, Kostic MA. Poisoning. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 77.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.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information 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. 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. 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Asphalt cement poisoningAsphalt; PavementAsphalt is a brownish-black liquid petroleum material that hardens when it cools. Asphalt cement poisoning occurs when someone swallows asphalt. If hot asphalt gets on the skin, serious injury can occur. 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 The substances in asphalt that can be harmful are:Hydrocarbons Industrial glues Industrial solvents Tar Where Found Asphalt is found in:Road paving materials Roofing materials Tile cementsAsphalt may also be used for other purposes. Symptoms Below are symptoms of asphalt poisoning in different parts of the body.EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATLoss of vision Severe pain in the throat Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongueHEART AND BLOODCollapse Low blood pressure that develops rapidly (shock)LUNGS AND AIRWAYSBreathing difficulty (from breathing in asphalt) Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)SKINBurns Irritation Holes (ulcers) in the skin or tissues under the skinSTOMACH AND INTESTINESBlockage in the intestines Blood in the stool Blood in the stoolBlack or tarry stools with a foul smell are a sign of a problem in the upper digestive tract. It most often indicates that there is bleeding in the ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Burns of the food pipe (esophagus) Severe abdominal pain Abdominal painAbdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Vomiting (may contain blood) Home Care Seek medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to.If the person swallowed asphalt, give them water or milk right away, unless 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. 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 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 ...Read 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. What to Expect at the Emergency Room The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.The person may receive:Blood and urine tests. Breathing support, including giving oxygen through a tube through the mouth into the lungs, and a breathing machine (ventilator). Bronchoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to look for burns in the airways and lungs. Chest x-ray. ECG (heart tracing). Endoscopy -- camera placed down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomach. Fluids through vein (by IV). Products to dissolve the asphalt. Medicines to treat symptoms. Surgery to remove burned skin (debridement). Washing of the skin (irrigation). This may need to be done every few hours for several days. Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much asphalt they swallowed and how quickly they receive treatment. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery. Hot asphalt cools very quickly and is difficult to get off the skin. Serious burns can easily occur from the extreme heat. Construction workers who work with asphalt should wear protective clothing.Asphalt is hard to swallow, but it may cause serious damage.Delayed injury may occur, including a hole forming in the throat, esophagus, or stomach. This can lead to severe bleeding and infection. Surgical procedures may be needed to treat these complications.If asphalt gets in the eye, ulcers may develop in the cornea, the clear part of the eye. This can cause blindness.Open ReferencesReferencesTheobald JL, Kostic MA. Poisoning. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 77.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.