Causes and Risks:

• ammonium hydroxide

Where Found:

• some cleaning agents

Symptoms:

• from swallowing
  • body as a whole
    • mouth pain (severe)
    • collapse
    • fever
  • respiratory
    • cough
    • chest pain (severe)
  • eyes, ears, nose, and throat
    • throat pain (severe)
  • gastrointestinal
    • abdominal pain (severe)
    • vomiting
• from breathing fumes
  • body as a whole
    • swelling of the lips
  • respiratory
    • cough
    • tight chest
  • eyes, ears, nose, and throat
    • temporary blindness
  • skin
    • bluish colored lips and fingernails
  • gastrointestinal
    • vomiting
  • heart and blood vessels
    • rapid, weak pulse
  • nervous system
    • restlessness
• from skin or eye contact
  • severe burns if contact is longer than a few minutes

Home Treatment: DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING.

If ammonium hydroxide is on the skin or in the eye, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes. If ammonium hydroxide was swallowed, give milk or water to dilute it. Fruit juices may also be given. If the person inhaled fumes, remove the patient to fresh air.

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

Call Poison Control: They will instruct you if it is necessary to take the patient to the hospital.
Take the container with you to the emergency room.

What To Expect: Some or all of the following procedures may be performed:

• Give fluids to dilute the poison.
• Use gastric lavage.
• Treat the symptoms.

Survival past 48 hours usually indicates recovery will occur. If a chemical burn occurred in the eye, permanent blindness will probably result.