What Is Aspirin Poisoning?
Aspirin poisoning happens when someone takes too much aspirin. For adults, this is usually more than 10 grams, and for children, more than 3 grams.
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Symptoms of Aspirin Poisoning
- Mild to moderate signs (within 1 to 2 hours):
- Fast breathing
- Ringing in the ears or hearing loss
- Feeling sick or vomiting
- Dizziness
- Flushing or redness of the skin
- Severe signs:
- Very high fever
- Seizures
- Confusion or loss of awareness
- Fluid in the lungs causing breathing problems
- Coma
- There can also be changes in the body’s acid levels, which affect how well the body functions.
What Happens at the Hospital?
- The medical team will first stabilise your breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
- Oxygen and fluids through a drip are given if needed.
- Stomach washing (gastric lavage) may be done within 4 hours to remove aspirin that is still inside because aspirin stays longer in the stomach.
- Activated charcoal may be given in repeated doses to reduce the amount of aspirin absorbed by the body.
- If blood sugar drops, sugar solutions like dextrose are given.
- Cooling methods like tepid sponging help reduce high fever.
- Seizures are treated with medicines like diazepam.
- If the patient’s condition gets worse or if serious problems develop (like coma or lung issues), they are referred to a higher-level hospital for advanced care.
Special Treatment for Acid-Base Imbalance
- Some patients may need treatment to correct acid levels in the body.
- A medicine called sodium bicarbonate is given through a drip to help the kidneys remove aspirin from the body more quickly.
- The urine is carefully monitored to keep it slightly alkaline, which helps clear the poison.
