- When you suspect poisoning
- What to do in case of poisoning with pellets
- If the person is not responding or breathing
- What not to do
Pellet is a dark gray granulated substance that contains aldicarb and other insecticides. The pellet has no smell or taste and is therefore often used as a poison to kill mice. Although it can be bought illegally, its use is prohibited in Brazil and other countries, because it is not safe as a rodenticide and has great possibilities of poisoning people.
When a person accidentally ingests pellets, the substance inhibits a very important enzyme in the nervous system that is essential for life and is known as "acetylcholinesterase". For this reason, people with pellet poisoning often experience symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, excessive sweating, tremors and bleeding. If this happens, you should call SAMU, through the number 192, explaining where you are and how the person who touched or ingested the substance is.
If the victim is not breathing or if his heart is not beating, cardiac massage should be performed to maintain blood and brain oxygenation in order to save his life. It is important to remember that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation should not be performed, since if the poisoning has occurred if swallowed, there is a risk that the person providing the assistance may also become intoxicated. Check out how to do cardiac massage correctly.
When you suspect poisoning
The signs and symptoms of pellet poisoning take about 1 hour to manifest, but it is possible to suspect the contact or ingestion of pellet when signs such as:
- Existence of pellet residues in the person's hands or mouth; Breath different from usual; Vomiting or diarrhea, which may contain blood; Pale or purplish lips; Burning in the mouth, throat or stomach; Drowsiness; Headache; Malaise; salivation and sweat; dilation of the pupil; cold and pale skin; mental confusion, which manifests for example when the person cannot say what he was doing; hallucinations and delusions, such as hearing voices or thinking he is talking to someone; breathe; increased urge to urinate or absent urine; seizures; blood in the urine or stool; paralysis of part of the body or complete inability to move; eat.
In case of suspected poisoning, take the victim to the hospital as soon as possible and call the Intoxication Hotline: 0800-722-600.
What to do in case of poisoning with pellets
In case of suspicion or ingestion of pellets, it is advisable to call SAMU immediately, dialing 192, to call for help or take the victim to the hospital immediately.
If the person is not responding or breathing
When it is observed that the person is not responding or breathing, it is a sign that he is going into cardiac arrest, which can lead to death in a few minutes.
In these situations, it is recommended to call for medical help and start cardiac massage, which should be done as follows:
- Lay the person on their backs and on a hard surface, such as the floor or a table; Place your hands on the victim's chest, with the palms facing down and fingers interlaced, at the midpoint of the line between the nipples, as shown in the image; Push your hands hard against your chest (compression), using your own body weight and keeping your arms straight, counting at least 2 pushes per second. The massage must be maintained until the arrival of the medical team's service and it is important to allow the chest to return to its normal position between each compression.
The victim may not wake up even when they receive the cardiac massage correctly, however, one should not give up until the ambulance or fire department arrives to try to save the victim's life.
At the hospital, if pellet poisoning is confirmed, the medical team can perform a gastric lavage, use serum to eliminate the poison from the body faster, and remedies against hemorrhage, seizures and activated carbon to prevent the absorption of toxic substances that are still in the stomach.
Watch the following video and understand how to properly perform cardiac massage:
What not to do
In case of suspected pellet poisoning, it is not advisable to offer water, juice or any liquid or food for the person to ingest. In addition, one should not try to induce vomiting by placing a finger on the victim's throat.
For your own protection, you should also avoid giving the victim mouth-to-mouth breathing, as this can cause intoxication in those who are doing the rescue.
