This document discusses the diagnosis and treatment of arsenic poisoning. For diagnosis, symptoms like garlic-smelling breath and urine can indicate arsenic poisoning, which is then confirmed through blood and urine tests measuring arsenic levels. Treatment involves removing arsenic from the body through induced vomiting, dialysis, or chelation therapy using drugs like Dimercaprol to bind the arsenic for excretion.

1. ARSENIC POISONING
BY :- Shailja Sharma
Assistant Professor
Pharmacology

14. Diagnosis of arsenic poisoning
• Breath and urine that smells like garlic as a
clue to their diagnosis.
• Blood cell counts
• serum electrolytes
• There are rapid urine "spot" tests available to
diagnose elevated levels of arsenic, but they
usually don't distinguish between organic and
inorganic arsenic.

15. • The patient's blood and urine will be sent for
analysis for arsenic; a result of > 50
micrograms/L is considered elevated, but
acute toxic exposures may result in levels 5 to
100 times or more than those which are
considered "elevated.
• A speciation test (determines levels of
inorganic versus organic arsenic) is required in
all cases in which total urine arsenic is
elevated since inorganic arsenic is so toxic.

16. Treatment of arsenic poisoning
• if the arsenic was ingested, stomach or bowel
irrigation may be attempted
• Hemodialysis can remove arsenic from the
bloodstream, but only before it binds to the
tissues so there is only a short time window
for this treatment to work.
• Blood transfusions

18. • Chelation therapy (the use of drugs that
selectively bind and effectively inactivate
substances) is usually begun quickly through
an intravenous line. The drug and the bound
arsenic is then excreted through the urine.
• The chelation drug of choice is Dimercaprol
(also termed BAL in oil); Succimer (DMSA) has
also been used successfully, and Dimerval
(DMPS) may also work as a chelator/

19. References
slideshare
google images
MedicineNet