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Excerpt from Toxicity, RodenticideSynonyms, Key Words, and Related Terms: red squill, strychnine, thallium, arsenic, barium-containing rodenticides, cholecalciferol-containing rodenticides, yellow phosphorus, warfarin-type anticoagulants, brodifacoum, alphanaphthyl thiourea, ANTU, sodium monofluoroacetate, N-3-pyridylmethyl-Np-nitrophenyl urea, PNU, Vacor, zinc phosphide, bromethalin, norbormide, cyanide, rodenticide ingestion, rodenticide toxicity, rodenticide poisoning Please click here to view the full topic text: Toxicity, RodenticideBackground: Rodenticides are a heterogeneous group of compounds that exhibit markedly different toxicities to humans and rodents. They are among the most toxic substances regularly found in homes. The varieties of rodenticides used over the years are legion, leading to the popular expression, "to build a better mousetrap." Fortunately, the rodenticides used in modern pest control are not as toxic as their predecessors.Red squill The botanical preparation of red squill, containing a cardiac glycoside as an active ingredient, was used as a rodenticide for many years. In theory, rodents ingest the product, and because they are incapable of vomiting, develop glycoside intoxication and pulmonary edema. Because humans are capable of vomiting, red squill was considered harmless, even to children. This product is not used much today because of its limited effectiveness as a rodenticide. Alphanaphthyl thiourea (ANTU) is another rodenticide that is said to produce pulmonary edema in rodents but not in higher mammals. Strychnine Strychnine is a plant alkaloid that, in the past, was used widely as a rodenticide. This agent is not used much today but is reported to have caused 3 deaths in 1998. Consider strychnine toxicity if an individual presents with generalized seizurelike appearance but without loss of consciousness or extensor posturing with risus sardonicus. Strychnine is also used as an adulterant in some street drugs sold as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Thallium Although thallium is not licensed for use in the United States, many case reports document thallium intoxications in third world countries where this product is still used as a rodenticide. Consider thallium toxicity when treating a patient with a neuropathy and hair loss. Recent cases of thallium poisoning associated with malicious criminal activity have been reported in the United States. Arsenic Arsenic, the poison used in the classic play Arsenic and Old Lace, was widely used as a rodenticide until 2 decades ago. It may still be found in liquid form in old barns and storage sites. Barium-containing rodenticides Interest in these rodenticides is purely academic. No commercially available barium-containing rodenticides are currently available in the United States. Cholecalciferol-containing rodenticides Cholecalciferol-containing rodenticides produce hypercalcemia. However, overdoses are not likely to occur with this type of rodenticide because these products are not commonly available, and they require extremely large doses to create a toxicologic situation in humans. Yellow phosphorus Yellow phosphorous was once used as a rat or roach poison. Symptoms include a garlic odor, oral burns, vomiting, and phosphorescent smoking feces. Warfarin-type anticoagulants and brodifacoum The emergency physician should be familiar with the rodenticides used historically; however, most rodenticides encountered today are the warfarin-type anticoagulants and the long-acting brodifacoum anticoagulant products. In 2002, the most frequently involved rodenticides in cases reported to the Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS) of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) were the superwarfarin rodenticides, which accounted for more than 16,000 cases.
Pathophysiology: Rodenticides that are toxic to virtually every organ system in the body have been available. Cyanide, once prevalent but no longer used for rodenticide application, poisons the cytochrome system. Effects of other rodenticides are as follows:
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