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cyanide poisoning
Epidemiology:
- common in victims of house fires
- 35% of rescued victims have signifcantly elevated cyanide in serum/plasma
Pathology:
1) cyanide interferes with mitochondrial respiration
2) cyanide binds strongly to heme
3) interferes with function of heme-containing proteins
Laboratory:
- cyanide in specimen
- cyanide in water
- cyanide in plant
- cyanide in tissue
- cyanide in gastric fluid
- cyanide in blood
- cyanide in serum/plasma
- cyanide in urine
Management:
1) cyanide antidote pack
2) Cyanokit contains hydroxycobalamin*
* cyanide removed as cyanocobalamin [1]
Related
cyanide (CN-)
General
toxicity; poisoning; overdose
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 18, 19
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2018, 2022
- Hamad E, Babu K, Bebarta VS.
Case Files of the University of Massachusetts Toxicology
Fellowship: Does This Smoke Inhalation Victim Require Treatment
with Cyanide Antidote?
J Med Toxicol. 2016 Jun;12(2):192-8. Review.
PMID: 26831054 Free PMC Article