UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Diagnosing Salicylate Toxicity

Category: Toxicology

Keywords: Salicylate, aspirin, ferric chloride (PubMed Search)

Posted: 7/14/2007 by Fermin Barrueto (Updated: 11/22/2024)
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Diagnosing Salicylate Toxicity - Acute ingestion can initiially present with nausea, vomiting and a respiratory alkalosis - Toxicity defined by an anion gap metabolic acidosis with ketosis and normal glucose - Ferric chloride test (can get from chemistry set): couple of drops into urine, if it changes color to deep purple sensitive positive for presence of salicylate (sensitive but not specific)