Cyanide Poisoning (cont.)

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Detection of cyanide poisoning can be difficult. The effects of cyanide ingestion are very similar to the effects of suffocation. The mechanism of toxicity occurs because cyanide stops the cells of the body from being able to use oxygen, which all cells need to survive.

• The symptoms of cyanide poisoning are similar to those experienced when hiking or climbing at high altitudes, and include:
  • General weakness
  • Confusion
  • Bizarre behavior
  • Excessive sleepiness
  • Coma
  • Shortness of breath
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Seizures
• Typically, acute cyanide ingestion will have a dramatic, rapid onset, immediately affecting the heart and causing sudden collapse. It also can immediately affect the brain and cause a seizure or coma.
• Chronic cyanide poisoning (over a long period of time) from ingestion or environmental poisoning will have a more gradual onset, and symptoms may include:
  • Headache
  • Changes in taste
  • Vomiting
  • Chest pain
  • Abdominal pain
  • Anxiety
• The skin of a cyanide-poisoned person can sometimes be unusually pink or cherry-red because oxygen will stay in the blood and not get into the cells. The person may also breathe very fast and have either a very fast or very slow heartbeat. Sometimes the person's breath can smell like bitter almonds, though this can be difficult to detect.
• Perhaps most important is the environment, rather than the signs or symptoms.
  • A person who works in a laboratory or plastics factory has a higher risk of cyanide poisoning.
  • Home, RV, boat, or building fires always include the additional concern of cyanide exposure.
  • If you know someone has been depressed or has substance abuse problems and you find him or her with any of the signs or symptoms of cyanide poisoning, then a suicide attempt is possible.

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