Cyanide Health Dictionary

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Cyanide: From 2 Different Sources

Any of a group of salts of hydrocyanic acid. Most are highly poisonous; inhalation or ingestion can rapidly lead to breathlessness, paralysis, and death.
Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association
n. any of the notoriously poisonous salts of hydrocyanic acid. Cyanides combine with and render inactive the enzymes of the tissues responsible for cellular respiration, and therefore they kill extremely quickly; unconsciousness is followed by convulsions and death. Hydrogen cyanide vapour is fatal in less than a minute when inhaled. Sodium or potassium cyanide taken by mouth may also kill within minutes. Prompt treatment with sodium nitrite and sodium thiosulphate or dicobalt *edetate may save life. Cyanides give off a smell of bitter almonds.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Cyanide Poisoning

Cyanide inhibits cellular RESPIRATION by binding rapidly and reversibly with the ENZYME, cytochrome oxidase. E?ects of poisoning are due to tissue HYPOXIA. Cyanide is toxic by inhalation, ingestion and prolonged skin contact, and acts extremely quickly once absorbed. Following inhalation of hydrogen cyanide gas, death can occur within minutes. Ingestion of inorganic cyanide salts may produce symptoms within 10 minutes, again proceeding rapidly to death. On a full stomach, effects may be delayed for an hour or more. Signs of cyanide poisoning are headache, dizziness, vomiting, weakness, ATAXIA, HYPERVENTILATION, DYSPNOEA, HYPOTENSION and collapse. Loss of vision and hearing may occur, then COMA and CONVULSIONS. Other features include cardiac ARRHYTHMIA and PULMONARY OEDEMA. Patients may have a lactic ACIDOSIS. Their arterial oxygen tension is likely to be normal, but their venous oxygen tension high and similar to that of arterial blood.

Treatment Administration of oxygen when available is the most important ?rst-aid management. Rescuers should be trained, must not put themselves at risk, and should use protective clothing and breathing apparatus. In unconscious victims, establish a clear airway and give 100 per cent oxygen. If breathing stops and oxygen is unavailable, initiate expired-air resuscitation. If cyanide salts were ingested, mouth-to-mouth contact must be avoided and a mask with a one-way valve employed instead. Some commercially available ?rst-aid kits contain AMYL NITRATE as an antidote which may be employed if oxygen is unavailable.

Once in hospital, or if a trained physician is on the scene, then antidotes may be administered. There are several di?erent intravenous antidotes that may be used either alone or in combination. In mild to moderate cases, sodium thiosulphate is usually given. In more severe cases either dicobalt edetate or sodium nitrite may be used, followed by sodium thio-sulphate. Some of these (e.g. dicobalt edetate) should be given only where diagnosis is certain, otherwise serious adverse reations or toxicity due to the antidotes may occur.... cyanide poisoning

Cyanides

Salts of hydrocyanic or prussic acid. They are highly poisonous, and are also powerful antiseptics. (See CYANIDE POISONING; WOUNDS.)... cyanides

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