Symptoms of Acid Soldering Flux Poisoning

Acid soldering flux is a material used to fix two pieces of metal together, a chemical used to clean and protect the area that is being soldered together. When someone swallows acid soldering flux, it can be poisonous due to hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons that can be found in soldering flux include rosin, hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride, and ammonium chloride.

Symptoms

Some of the signs of an acid soldering flux poisoning include severe pain or burning in the throat, eyes, nose, ears, lips, or tongue. Other signs are loss of vision, kidney failure and decreased urine output, blood in the stool, severe abdominal pain, and burns on the food pipe. Vomiting, collapsing, an irregular heart beat, low blood pressure, vomiting blood, breathing difficulties, throat swelling, skin burns, skin irritation, and holes in the skin or tissue are other symptoms.

Treatment

Flush eyes and skin with water if the chemical is near those parts. Give plenty of water or milk if ingested, unless the person is vomiting, having convulsions, or is at a decreased level of alertness. Call poison control and emergency services, tell them what was ingested, the time it was consumed, and the approximate amount of chemical consumed. While at the emergency room the doctors will monitor the vital signs and treat the symptoms. This may include oxygen, IV fluids, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, a breathing tube, a gastric lavage, surgical removal of burned skin, or irrigation of the skin.

With this type of poisoning, it can continue to damage the body even weeks after ingesting. The quicker that treatment was begun, the better the prognosis for the patient is.

Source: A.D.A.M.