A Buggy Case

​A 35-year-old man with a history of asthma presented with an exposure after spraying his garage with an insecticide he bought at the hardware store. Shortly after spraying the insecticide, he noticed eye itchiness, tingling, pruritus over his arms and legs, and shortness of breath. His blood pressure was 130/85 mm Hg, heart rate 70 bpm, respiratory rate 14 bpm, temperature 98.7°F, and SpO2 96% on room air.​He was alert and anxious, his skin was warm with mild erythema, and he had urticaria over his forearms and ankles. His lung exam revealed diffuse wheezing bilaterally. His eyes were watery, and his pupils were 4 mm and reactive bilaterally. The remainder of his exam was unremarkable.Potential Insecticides-Carbamates and organophosphates may be found in products used in households, gardens, and farms. They are also found in powders, sprays, and shampoos targeting fleas and ticks in animals.-Organochlorines including hexachlorocyclohexane (Lindane) are historically used in products such as DDT, chlordane, aldrin, and toxaphene that are now generally banned in most countries.-Pyrethrins and pyrethroids include cypermethrin, imiprothrin, and tetramethrin that can be found in household Raid products. Permethrin is also in this class, and is used in Nix and Elimite to kill head lice and scabies.-Boric acid is found in ant and roach killers.-Pet-related products used as topical insecticides to kill fleas on cats and dogs include neonicotinoid imidacloprid (Advantage), GABA r...
Source: The Tox Cave - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs