Insecticides




This is poisoning caused by swallowing or breathing in insecticide, a type of bug killer.

Poisonous Ingredient

Most household bug sprays contain chemicals called pyrethrins. (These chemicals are generally non-harmful, but can cause life-threatening breathing problems if breathed in.) Industrial insecticides, often found in household garages and greenhouse, contain many dangerous materials, including:
  • Organophosphates (including actellic, delnav, guthion, lorsban/dursban)
  • Carbamates (baygon, furadan, lannate, sevin/carbaryl, temik)
  • Paradichlorobenzenes (mothballs)
Where Found

Various insecticides (bug killers)

Symptoms

Symptoms for pyrethrin poisoning:
  • Lungs and airways
    • Breathing difficulty
  • Skin
    • Irritation
    Redness or swelling
  • Nervous system
    • Coma
  • Heart and blood
    • Convulsions
Symptoms for organophosphate or carbamate poisoning:
  • Heart and blood
    • Convulsions
  • Bladder and kidneys
    • Increased urination
  • Lungs and airways
    • Breathing difficulty
  • Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
    • Small pupils
    Increased tearing
    Increased salivation (drooling)
  • Skin
    • Blue lips and fingernails
  • Gastrointestinal
    • Loss of appetite
    Abdominal cramps
    Diarrhea
    Nausea
    Vomiting
  • Nervous system
    • Headache
    Anxiety
    Dizziness
    Coma
    Weakness
Home Treatment

DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by Poison Control or a health care professional. Seek immediate medical help. If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes. If the person breathed in the poison, immediately move him or her to fresh air.

Expectations (prognosis)

How well a patient does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment was received. The faster a patient gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery. Swallowing such poisons can have severe effects on many parts of the body. It is a good sign that recovery will occur if patients continue to improve over the first 4 to 6 hours (after medical treatment). Although the symptoms are the same for carbamate and organophosphate, recovery is more difficult for organophosphate.
Credit: National Institute of Health.
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