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Wood stains
Wood stains are products used for wood finishing. Wood stain poisoning occurs when someone swallows these substances.
This article is for information only. Do NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call your local emergency number (such as 911), or your local poison center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.
Poisonous Ingredient
The harmful substances in wood stains are hydrocarbons, or substances that contain only carbon and hydrogen. Other harmful ingredients may include:
- Alcohol
- Alkanes
- Cyclo alkanes
- Glycol ether
- Corrosives, such as sodium hydroxide (lye)
Where Found
Various wood stains contain these substances. Other wood stains may contain other substances.
Symptoms
Below are symptoms of wood stain poisoning in different parts of the body.
EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT
- Loss of vision
- Severe pain in the throat
- Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
STOMACH AND INTESTINES
-
Blood in the stool
Blood in the stool
Bloody stools often are a sign of a problem in the digestive tract. Blood in the stool may come from anywhere along your digestive tract from your m...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Burns of the food pipe (esophagus)
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
-
Severe
abdominal pain
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin. This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Vomiting
-
Vomiting blood
Vomiting blood
Vomiting blood is regurgitating (throwing up) contents of the stomach that contains blood. Vomited blood may appear either a bright red or dark red c...
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HEART AND BLOOD
- Collapse
-
Low blood pressure
that develops rapidly
Low blood pressure
Low blood pressure occurs when blood pressure is much lower than normal. This means the heart, brain, and other parts of the body do not get enough ...
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LUNGS AND AIRWAYS
- Breathing difficulty (from breathing in fumes)
- Throat swelling (may also cause breathing difficulty)
NERVOUS SYSTEM
- Brain damage
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
SKIN
- Burn
- Holes in the skin or tissues under the skin
- Irritation
Home Care
Get medical help right away. Do NOT make the person throw up unless poison control or a health care provider tells you to.
If the wood stain is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.
If the person swallowed the wood stain, give them water or milk right away, if a provider tells you to do so. Do NOT give anything to drink if the person has symptoms that make it hard to swallow. These include vomiting, convulsions, or a decreased level of alertness.
If the person breathed in the poison, move them to fresh air right away.
Before Calling Emergency
Have this information ready:
- Person's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (and ingredients, if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
Poison Control
Your local poison center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
Poison Help hotline
For a POISON EMERGENCY call:1-800-222-1222ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATESThis national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. This ...
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What to Expect at the Emergency Room
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.
The person may receive:
- Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs, and breathing machine (ventilator)
- Bronchoscopy: camera down the throat to see burns in the airways and lungs
- Chest x-ray
- EKG (electrocardiogram or heart tracing)
- Endoscopy: camera down the throat to look for burns in the esophagus and the stomach
- Fluids through a vein (by IV)
- Hemodialysis (kidney machine)
- Surgery to remove burned skin
-
Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (
gastric lavage
)
Gastric lavage
Gastric suction is a procedure to empty the contents of your stomach.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Washing of the skin (irrigation), perhaps every few hours for several days
Outlook (Prognosis)
How well someone does depends on how much wood stain they swallowed and how quickly they receive treatment. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.
Damage can continue to occur for several weeks after swallowing wood stain.
References
Jacobsen D, Hovda KE. Methanol, ethylene glycol, and other toxic alcohols. In: Shannon MW, Borron SW, Burns MJ, eds. Haddad and Winchester's Clinical Management of Poisoning and Drug Overdose . 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2007:chap 32.
White SR. Toxic alcohols. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2014:chap 155.
Zosel AE. General approach to the poisoned patient. In: Adams JG, ed. Emergency Medicine . 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2013:chap 143.
Review Date: 11/4/2015
Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, Attending Physician at FDR Medical Services/Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Buffalo, NY. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
