Nicotine Poisoning

Historically, most cases of nicotine poisoning have been the result of its use as an insecticide; however, such use is less frequent now than previously. Every year many children go to the emergency room after eating cigarettes or cigarette butts. Sixty milligrams of nicotine will kill an adult, which is about the amount of nicotine in three or four cigarettes or half a cigar, if all nicotine were absorbed. Consuming only one cigarette's worth of nicotine is enough to make a toddler severely ill. In some cases children have become poisoned by medicinal creams used topically.

Symptoms

• vomiting and nausea
• headaches
• difficulty breathing,
• stomach pains
• seizures
• weakness
• increased drooling

Physical Process

These symptoms can be traced back to excessive stimulation of cholinergic neurons. People poisoned by organophosphate insecticides experience the exact same symptoms. With organophosphates, acetylcholine builds up at synapses and overstimulates the neurons. Because nicotine is so similar to acetylcholine, and binds to cholinergic receptors, nicotine in excess produces the same overstimulation and toxicity. The more nicotine binding to the nicotinic cholinergic receptors, the greater the overstimulation of the cholinergic receptors and the greater the toxicity.

Diagnosing

Increased nicotine or cotinine (the nicotine metabolite) is detected in urine, or increased serum nicotine levels occur.

External Links

• How Stuff Works:Nicotine
• Nicotine Poisoning In Pets
• Child Poisoned By Topical Medicinal Cream