Title: Deadly in a drop!<br/>Author: Kathy Prybys<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/121/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><div>
<strong>Botulinum</strong></div>
<ul>
<li>
Most poisonous substance known to man</li>
<li>
LD50 oral dose 1 mcg/kg</li>
<li>
Heat labile single polypeptide chain undergoes proteolytic clevage irreverisibly binds and blocks cholinergic transmission causing a deadly neuroparalytic syndrome</li>
<li>
Rx: Botulin antitoxin (equine derived against Clostriduim botulinum A,B,E)</li>
</ul>
<div>
<strong>Dimethylmercury (CH3)2 Hg </strong></div>
<ul>
<li>
Highly toxic, restricted availability is rapidly absorbed and metabolized to methylmercury crosses CNS</li>
<li>
LD50 of 50 mcg/kg means a dose as little as 0.1ml can result in severe poisoning</li>
<li>
Death <span style="font-family: sans-serif;">of Darmouth inorganic chemist Karen Wetterhahn who spilled a few drops on back of her latex gloved hand, quickly permeated, and absorbed causing severe neurotoxocity and death 10 months later</span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Rx: Chelation</span></li>
</ul>
<p>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif;"><strong>VX ("venomous agent X")</strong></span><strong><span style="font-family: sans-serif;"> </span></strong></p>
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Organophosphate nerve agent has been used as chemical weapon</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Colorless, odorless, low volatility, and high lipophilicity</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">LD50 of 0.04mg/kg (10 mg). Death can occur within 15 minutes after absorption</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Blocks a</span>cetylc<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">holinesterase enzyme causing excess accumulation of acetylcholine at the neurojunction and cholinergic poisoning</span></li>
<li>
Rx: Decontamination, Atropine, 2-PAM</li>
</ul>
<div>
<strong>Tetrodotoxin</strong></div>
<ul>
<li>
100 fresh and salt water varieties (pufferlike fish/blue ringed octopus, frogs)</li>
<li>
Heat stable, water soluble found in fish skin, liver, <strong>ovaries</strong>,intestine, and muscle</li>
<li>
<span style="text-align: left; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">25 mg (0.000881 oz) expected to be lethal to a 75 kg person</span></li>
<li>
<span style="text-align: left; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Neurotoxicity by inhibition of Na-K pump and blockade neuromuscular transmission</span></li>
<li>
<span style="text-align: left; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; font-family: Roboto,arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; display: inline !important; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; float: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Rx: Supportive measures</span></li>
</ul>
<p>
<strong><em><span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="text-align: justify; color: rgb(42, 42, 42); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">LD50 expresses the dose at which 50% of exposed population will die as a result of exposure.</span></span></em></strong></p>
<fieldset><legend>References</legend>
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