BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuTar remover poisoningTar remover is used to get rid of tar, a dark oily material. This article discusses health problems that may occur if you breathe in, swallow, or touch tar remover.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 Tar remover contains compounds called hydrocarbons. These include:Benzene Dichloromethane Light aromatic naphtha Methane chloride Toluene Xylene Where Found Various tar removal products contain these compounds. Symptoms Below are symptoms of tar remover poisoning in different parts of the body.AIRWAYS AND LUNGSBreathing difficulty Throat swelling, which can lead to breathing difficultyEYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATSevere pain or burning in the throat, nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue Vision lossHEART AND BLOODCollapse Low blood pressure (shock)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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article STOMACH AND INTESTINESAbdominal pain -- severe Blood in the stools Burns of the esophagus (food pipe) Nausea Vomiting (may be bloody)NERVOUS SYSTEMDepression DepressionDepression 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Dizziness Drowsiness DrowsinessDrowsiness 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Feeling of being drunk (euphoria) Headache HeadacheA 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Loss of alertness (unconsciousness) Seizures SeizuresA seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Staggering WeaknessSKINBurns Irritation Holes in the skin or tissues under the skin 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 the tar remover, give them water or milk right away, if poison control or a provider tells you to do so. Do not give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include vomiting, seizures, or a decreased level of alertness.If the person breathed in fumes, move them to fresh air right away. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:The person's age, weight, and condition The name of the product (and ingredients, if known) The time it was swallowed The 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 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 signsVital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done include:Blood and urine tests Bronchoscopy -- camera down the throat to look for burns in the airways and lungs Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Electrocardiogram (ECG) ElectrocardiogramAn electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomachEndoscopyEndoscopy 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article 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) Surgery to remove burned skin Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)VentilatorA 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much tar remover was swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.Swallowing such poisons can have severe effects on many parts of the body. Burns in the airway or gastrointestinal tract can lead to tissue necrosis, resulting in infection, shock and death, even several months after the initial swallowing event. Scars may form in these tissues leading to long-term difficulties with breathing, swallowing, and digestion.If kerosene gets into the lungs (aspiration), serious and, possibly permanent lung damage can occur.AspirationAspiration 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesAronson 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.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. 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.
Tar remover poisoningTar remover is used to get rid of tar, a dark oily material. This article discusses health problems that may occur if you breathe in, swallow, or touch tar remover.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 Tar remover contains compounds called hydrocarbons. These include:Benzene Dichloromethane Light aromatic naphtha Methane chloride Toluene Xylene Where Found Various tar removal products contain these compounds. Symptoms Below are symptoms of tar remover poisoning in different parts of the body.AIRWAYS AND LUNGSBreathing difficulty Throat swelling, which can lead to breathing difficultyEYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROATSevere pain or burning in the throat, nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue Vision lossHEART AND BLOODCollapse Low blood pressure (shock)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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article STOMACH AND INTESTINESAbdominal pain -- severe Blood in the stools Burns of the esophagus (food pipe) Nausea Vomiting (may be bloody)NERVOUS SYSTEMDepression DepressionDepression 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Dizziness Drowsiness DrowsinessDrowsiness 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Feeling of being drunk (euphoria) Headache HeadacheA 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Loss of alertness (unconsciousness) Seizures SeizuresA seizure is the physical changes in behavior that occurs during an episode of specific types of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Staggering WeaknessSKINBurns Irritation Holes in the skin or tissues under the skin 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 the tar remover, give them water or milk right away, if poison control or a provider tells you to do so. Do not give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include vomiting, seizures, or a decreased level of alertness.If the person breathed in fumes, move them to fresh air right away. Before Calling Emergency Have this information ready:The person's age, weight, and condition The name of the product (and ingredients, if known) The time it was swallowed The 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 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 signsVital signs reflect essential body functions, including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature, and blood pressure. Your health care provider m...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Tests that may be done include:Blood and urine tests Bronchoscopy -- camera down the throat to look for burns in the airways and lungs Chest x-ray Chest x-rayA chest x-ray is an x-ray of the chest, lungs, heart, large arteries, ribs, and diaphragm.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Electrocardiogram (ECG) ElectrocardiogramAn electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomachEndoscopyEndoscopy 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article 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) Surgery to remove burned skin Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)VentilatorA 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) How well someone does depends on how much tar remover was swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.Swallowing such poisons can have severe effects on many parts of the body. Burns in the airway or gastrointestinal tract can lead to tissue necrosis, resulting in infection, shock and death, even several months after the initial swallowing event. Scars may form in these tissues leading to long-term difficulties with breathing, swallowing, and digestion.If kerosene gets into the lungs (aspiration), serious and, possibly permanent lung damage can occur.AspirationAspiration 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...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Open ReferencesReferencesAronson 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.