How Do You Identify A Case Of Thallium Poisoning?
Thallium is highly poisonous both in elemental form and in compounds. Thallium compounds tend to be highly soluble and, therefore, easily absorbed through the skin. Because thallium is a stable element, it cannot be broken down or otherwise destroyed. The following steps will help you identify and treat a case of thallium poisoning. Step 1 Look at the symptoms. Thallium kills by substituting itself for potassium in the body, which disrupts many cellular processes. The most distinctive symptoms are hair loss and the feeling of walking on hot coals. Other common symptoms include diarrhea, numbness in the extremities and vomiting. Step 2 Get a medical examination. Routine tests may show damage to the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs and nervous system. A specific test for thallium that shows more than .1 mg/mm^2 of exposed skin may indicate thallium poisoning. Step 3 Seek treatment in a hospital setting. If the ingestion was recent, the primary method of treatment is oral administration of Pr
