Poisonous Ingredient:

• Methanol
• Isopropanol
• Ethanol
• Methyl isobutyl ketone

Where Found:

• Wood finishing products
• Paint remover
• Shellac

Note: This list may not be all inclusive.

Symptoms:

• Muscles
  • Weakness
  • Leg cramps
• Kidneys
  • Kidney failure
• Lungs and airways
  • Rapid, shallow breathing
  • No breathing
• Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
  • Blurred vision
  • Blindness
  • Wide pupils
• Skin
  • Cyanosis (blue skin, lips, or fingernails)
• Gastrointestinal
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
• Heart and blood
  • Low blood pressure
  • Convulsions
  • Disturbance of the acid balance of the blood (leads to multi-organ failure)
• Nervous system
  • Coma
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Dizziness

Home Treatment:

DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by Poison Control or a health care professional. Seek immediate medical help.

If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.

If the chemical was swallowed, immediately give the person�water, unless instructed otherwise by a health care provider. DO NOT give water if the patient is having symptoms (such as vomiting, convulsions, or a decreased level of alertness) that make it hard to swallow.

Before Calling Emergency:

Determine the following information:

• Patient's age, weight, and condition
• Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
• Time it was swallowed
• Amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number:

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the U.S. 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.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

See National Poison Control center.

What to expect at the emergency room:

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The patient may receive:

• Fluids by IV
• Medicines to treat symptoms
• Activated charcoal
• A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)�
• Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to see burns in the esophagus and the stomach
• Medicine (antidote) to reverse the effect of the poison
• Oxygen
• Breathing tube
• Bronchoscopy -- camera down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs
• Irrigation (washing of the skin) -- perhaps every few hours for several days
• Skin debridment (surgical removal of burned skin)

Expectations (prognosis):

Isopropanol and methanol are extremely poisonous.�As little as 2 TABLEspoons of methanol can kill a child, while 2 to 8 ounces�can be deadly for adults.

How well a patient does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment was received. The faster a patient gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery.