Definition
This poisoning is from eating or swallowing soap that is used in automatic dishwashers.
Poisonous Ingredient
Various soaps - potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate are the most common.
Where Found
- Automatic dishwashing soaps
Symptoms
- Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
- Severe pain in the throat
- Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
- Loss of vision
- Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)
- Lungs
- Breathing difficulty (from inhalation)
- Gastrointestinal
- Severe abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Burns of the esophagus (food pipe)
- Vomiting blood
- Blood in the stool
- Heart and blood
- Hypotension (low blood pressure) develops rapidly
- Collapse
- Severe change in blood acid levels, which can leads to organ damage
- Skin
- Irritation
- Burn
- Necrosis (holes) in the skin or underlying tissues
Home Treatment
Seek immediate emergency medical help. DO NOT make the person throw up.
If the soap is in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.
If the soap was swallowed, have the patient immediately drink water or milk.
Before Calling Emergency
Determine the following information:
- The patient's age, weight, and condition
- The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
- The time it was swallowed
- The 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:
- Medicines to treat symptoms
- A nasogastric (NG) tube thru the nose into the stomach to empty the stomach (gastric lavage)
- Medicines to treat an allergic reaction (diphenhydramine, epinephrine, or prednisone)
- Endoscopy -- the placement of a camera down the throat to see the extent of burns to the esophagus and the stomach
Expectations (prognosis)
How well the patient does depends on how fast the poison was diluted. Extensive damage to the mouth, throat, and stomach are possible. The ultimate outcome depends on the extent of this damage.
Damage can continue to occur to the esophagus and stomach for several weeks after the product is swallowed. Death may occur up to a month after the poisoning.
Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-RooseveltHospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed HealthcareNetwork.
