Solder poisoning
Solder is used to connect electric wires or other metal parts together. Solder poisoning occurs when someone swallows solder in large amounts. Skin burns can occur if solder touches the skin.
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 the local emergency number (such as 911), or the 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 solder that can be harmful are:
- Antimony
- Bismuth
- Cadmium
- Copper
- Ethylene glycol
- Lead
- Mild acids
- Silver
- Tin
- Zinc
Where Found
Solder contains these substances. It may also contain other harmful substances.
Symptoms
Symptoms for lead:
BLADDER AND KIDNEYS
- Kidney damage
EYES, EARS, NOSE, MOUTH, AND THROAT
- Metallic taste
Metallic taste
Taste impairment means there is a problem with your sense of taste. Problems range from distorted taste to a complete loss of the sense of taste. A...
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Vision problems
There are many types of eye problems and vision disturbances, such as: Halos Blurred vision (the loss of sharpness of vision and the inability to see...
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- Hearing loss
STOMACH AND INTESTINES
- Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.
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- Diarrhea
- Excessive thirst
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
HEART AND BLOOD
- Collapse
Collapse
Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. The episode most often lasts less than a couple of minutes and y...
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High blood pressure
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force exerted against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood to your body. Hypertension is the ...
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Low blood pressure
Low blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body do not get enough ...
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MUSCLES AND JOINTS
- Paralysis
Paralysis
Muscle function loss is when a muscle does not work or move normally. The medical term for complete loss of muscle function is paralysis.
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Muscle aches
Muscle aches and pains are common and can involve more than one muscle. Muscle pain also can involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia. Fascias are th...
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Fatigue
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.
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- Joint pain
NERVOUS SYSTEM
- Coma (decreased level of consciousness and lack of responsiveness)
Coma
Decreased alertness is the most severe state of reduced awareness and is a serious condition. A coma is a state of decreased alertness from which a p...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Confusion
Confusion
Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembe...
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Excitability
Agitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal. An agitated person may feel stirred up, excited, tense, confused, or irritable.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Hallucinations
Hallucinations
Hallucinations involve sensing things such as visions, sounds, or smells that seem real but are not. These things are created by the mind.
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- Irritability
- Lack of desire to do anything
- Sleeping difficulty
- Tremor
- Twitching
- Uncoordinated movements
Uncoordinated movements
Uncoordinated movement is due to a muscle control problem that causes an inability to coordinate movements. It leads to a jerky, unsteady, to-and-fr...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Seizures (convulsions)
SKIN
- Pale skin
- Yellow skin (jaundice)
Symptoms for tin and zinc chloride:
BLADDER AND KIDNEYS
- Decreased urine output
- No urine output
EYES, EARS, NOSE, MOUTH, AND THROAT
- Burns in mouth and throat
- Yellow eyes (icterus)
STOMACH AND INTESTINES
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
SKIN
- Yellow skin (jaundice)
Symptoms for ethylene glycol:
- Disturbance in the acid balance of the blood (can lead to failure of many organs)
- Kidney failure
Symptoms for cadmium:
- Kidney damage
- Reduced brain function or intelligence
- Reduced lung function
- Softening of the bones and kidney failure
Symptoms for bismuth:
- Diarrhea
- Eye irritation
- Gum disease (gingivitis)
- Kidney damage
- Metallic taste
- Skin irritation
Symptoms for silver:
- Grayish-black staining of the skin and mucous membranes
- Silver deposits in the eyes
Symptoms for antimony:
- Chemical burns
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Eczema (skin dryness and irritation)
Eczema
Atopic dermatitis is a long-term (chronic) skin disorder that involves scaly and itchy rashes. It is a type of eczema. Other forms of eczema include...
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- Irritation of mucous membranes (mouth, nose)
- Stomach problems
Symptoms for copper:
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Heart, kidney, and liver failure (uncommon)
- Confusion (uncommon)
- Fever
Home Care
Get medical help right away. Do not make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to. If the solder is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.
If the solder was swallowed, give water to the person right away, unless instructed otherwise by a provider. Do not give water if the person is having symptoms (such as vomiting, seizures, or a decreased level of alertness) that make it hard to swallow.
Before Calling Emergency
Determine the following information:
- Person's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (and 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 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.
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
- ECG (electrocardiogram or heart tracing)
- Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomach
Treatment may include:
- Fluids through the vein (by IV)
- Medicine (antidote) to reverse the effect of the poison
- Activated charcoal
- 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 - Washing of the skin (irrigation), perhaps every few hours for several days
- Surgery to remove burned skin
- Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)
- Dialysis (kidney machine)
Outlook (Prognosis)
How well the person does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment is received. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.
Outcomes depend on the type of poison swallowed:
- Ethylene glycol is extremely poisonous.
- Complete recovery from lead poisoning takes a year or more. It may cause permanent brain damage.
- If the amount of zinc or tin swallowed is low, recovery should occur within approximately 6 hours.
- Skin color changes due to silver poisoning are permanent.
- Long-term poisoning with antimony and cadmium may lead to lung cancer.
- Recovery from acid poisoning depends on how much tissue has been damaged.
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 substance was first swallowed. Scars may form in these tissues leading to long-term difficulties with breathing, swallowing, and digestion.
References
Nelson ME. Toxic alcohols. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 141.
Theobald JL, Mycyk MB. Iron and heavy metals. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 151.
Review Date: 11/13/2021
Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.