Citation

Półćwiartek-Mazur J, Sroga-Szajer L. Czas. Stomatol. 2014; 67(3): 423-435.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Panstwowy Zaklad Wydawnictw Lekarskich)

DOI

10.5604/00114553.1111283

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Accidental ingestion of chemical agents of caustic nature causes serious damage to the upper gastrointestinal tract and/or respiratory system. If the ingestion does not lead to death during the acute period, in most cases it will cause severe damage during the chronic phase. The most common chemicals causing toxicity are household detergents. In most cases, corrosive poisoning is the result of suicide attempts; however, they may also happen during accidental consumption commonly occurring among children. The prognosis depends on the type of the chemical agent, its concentration, time and circumstances of the ingestion. The greatest damage occurs during consumption of alkali substance. It leads to serious damage to the tissues in the mouth, the esophagus and the stomach. The presence of scars and contractures of the oral mucosa pose many difficulties to dentists of various specialties. Orthodontic treatment may cause the formation of wounds and ulcers of the oral mucosa, which may result in prolonged treatment, or even prevent it. The authors have presented the case of orthodontic treatment of a boy who, at the age of 2 years and 6 months, accidentally ingested the detergent "Kret" consisting of sodium lye, which is used for clearing sewer pipes, and have reviewed the selected references. © 2014 Polish Dental Society.

Language: en

Keywords

Accidental poisoning; Chemical burns; Soda lye