Potassium cyanide is an antidote. The effect of potassium cyanide on humans, symptoms of poisoning. Signs of chronic poisoning

Almost all people know that potassium cyanide is a poison that can cause instant death of a person.

However, there are more dangerous poisons, and accidents associated with this substance most often occur in the workplace.

What should a person know about potassium cyanide, and how to act in case of poisoning with this substance?

What it is

Potassium cyanide is a white powdery substance. It dissolves perfectly in water and hot alcohol. It is a derivative of hydrocyanic acid. Chemical formula of KCN substance.

What does potassium cyanide smell like? The widespread belief that the poison has a bitter almond smell is not entirely true. The dry powder does not smell, but when interacting with water vapor and carbon dioxide, the smell may appear. However, only fifty percent of all people feel it.

Potassium cyanide production is handled very carefully using gloves and hoods. Many experimenters, thinking how to get this poison at home, conduct various experiments. However, in such cases, poisoning with vapors of such potassium can occur.

Potassium cyanide: where it is found

Where can you get potassium cyanide? In nature, this substance is found in some plants. It is present in the seeds of fruits such as apricots, peaches, cherries, plums. A lethal dose is 100 grams, so you should not get carried away with such products. Almonds should also only be purchased from trusted locations to avoid hydrocyanic acid poisoning.

The cyanide used in production is obtained chemically. The spheres of application of such potassium are quite diverse.

Application:

• mining,
• jewelry industry,
• photo business,
• paints for artists,
• entomology (various insect stains).

As already written above, you can get potassium cyanide at home, but you should think very carefully before doing it. By the way, on the Internet, the question of where you can get or how to make cyanide is quite common.

However, you cannot buy it anywhere. The substance is poisonous, therefore, in laboratories, strict records are kept for it. At the same time, it is worth knowing that this potassium cannot be stored for a long time, therefore its reserves do not exist.

Action on the body

How does potassium cyanide work on the human body? When ingested, an important cellular enzyme, cytochrome oxidase, is blocked.

Oxygen starvation of cells develops, they simply do not assimilate it. Oxygen remains in the blood, which turns bright red.

As a result of this effect of the poison, the cells begin to die, the organs cease to function normally, and death occurs.

The effect of potassium cyanide on a person can be compared to suffocation, when the victim simply suffocates from lack of oxygen.

Intoxication can occur as a result of the ingestion of poison through the oral cavity, through the respiratory tract by inhalation of powder or vapors of the substance.

You should know that the effect of potassium cyanide is slightly neutralized with glucose. Therefore, in laboratories, workers always keep a sugar cube in their mouths. In addition, in a full stomach, the poison lasts longer, which makes it possible to have time to provide the necessary assistance to a person.

Video: about potassium cyanide

Symptoms and signs of potassium poisoning

How to understand that intoxication has occurred? What should you pay attention to? It is worth knowing that a small dose of poison does not immediately provoke death, so it is quite possible to provide assistance to the victim.

Cyanide poisoning can be acute or chronic. In each case, different symptoms stand out.

Signs of acute poisoning:

• nausea, vomiting,
• numbness in the mouth
• salivation,
• metallic taste
• dizziness,
• rapid breathing
• a feeling of suffocation
• bulging eyes
• dilated pupils
• convulsions
• involuntary urination and defecation,
• loss of consciousness,
• lack of reflexes and sensitivity,
• coma,
• cessation of breathing.

With the provision of assistance at the initial stage, a person can well be saved.

Chronic poisoning occurs as a result of the constant ingress of potassium cyanide into the human body.

Signs of chronic intoxication:

• persistent headaches
• frequent dizziness
• memory problems
• violation of cardiac activity,
• weight loss,
• increased urination
• increased sweating.

Allergic reactions on the skin can also occur, and various diseases are aggravated.

If signs of poisoning are found, it is necessary to call doctors and provide the person with the necessary assistance.

First aid and treatment

When detecting intoxication with potassium cyanide, there is no time to waste. It is necessary to provide assistance to the victim as soon as possible. First of all, a medical team should be called, and then first aid measures should be taken.

Therapy:

• If potassium cyanide gets inside through the mouth, you need to flush the stomach with plenty of water.
• In case of poisoning with vapors, a person needs to provide him with access to fresh air, unbutton squeezing clothes on him.
• If a poisonous substance gets on things, then it is necessary to remove them from the poisoned person so that the poison does not penetrate inside.
• In the absence of consciousness and respiratory activity, resuscitation measures must be taken.

In a medical institution, doctors prescribe the necessary tests, and then therapy. An antidote must be used to neutralize the action of potassium cyanide. There are several types of drugs that can make this potassium safer.

Views:

• glucose,
• sodium thiosulfate,
• drugs (nitroglycerin, methylene blue).

Doctors use the remedy that is most appropriate for each specific case. If help is provided quickly and on time, then, as a rule, a person can be saved. In severe poisoning, the recovery process is quite long.

Prevention and consequences

Poisoning with potassium cyanide negatively affects the entire human body. In the future, various health disorders may arise, and chronic diseases may worsen. The worst consequence is death. However, this can be avoided if you help the person in time.

To avoid the occurrence of intoxication, people involved in the production of potassium cyanide must observe safety precautions. You should not try to get potassium yourself at home, the result can be unpredictable.

Potassium cyanide is a substance posing a serious danger to humans. Knowing how the poison works, you should be careful when working with it, and if poisoning occurs, help the person very quickly.

Video: top 10 most dangerous poisons for humans

Potassium cyanide is the most infamous poison. He gained his fame thanks to the authors of detective novels, who often "used" this poisonous substance in their works. However, in nature there are poisons that act much faster and more efficiently than potassium cyanide. Obviously, the popularity of this substance is also due to the availability of purchase at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, when it could be easily purchased at any pharmacy. But what are cyanides today? What types of toxic substances from this family are there? Where are they used and is it possible to get poisoning with this poison today? It is these questions that will be discussed in this article.

What it is

Potassium cyanide is a chemical compound derived from hydrocyanic acid. The cyanide formula is KCN. This substance was first obtained by the Swedish chemist Karl Wilhelm Scheele in 1782, and in the middle of the 19th century, the German chemist Robert Wilhelm Bunsen developed a technique for the industrial synthesis of poison. It was assumed that this substance will be used not for the purpose of killing their own kind, but for the control of agricultural pests and in leather production. Hydrocyanic acid derivatives are often used as a coloring pigment in paints.

Nevertheless, at the beginning of the 20th century, the French military first used cyanide as a chemical weapon. Despite the fact that the gas attack in the battles on the banks of the Seine did not bring the expected result, some German scientists considered the "prospects" of using cyanide in military operations. During the Second World War, the Nazis already made extensive use of more advanced modifications of cyanide-based poisonous substances in concentration camps and on some parts of the front.

Cyanide types

Most people probably know what potassium cyanide is and what effect it has on the human body. However, few people know that the poisonous family can contain both organic and inorganic cyanides.

The first group is mainly used in pharmacology and agriculture (in the fight against harmful insects). The second group has found wide application in the chemical industry and photo printing, leather and textile production, as well as in the mining and electroplating industry.

What does it look like

People who know what cyanide is describe it as a translucent powder with a crystalline structure. This substance is completely soluble in water. However, due to the fact that stronger acids are able to easily displace hydrocyanic acid from the compound, this poisonous substance is considered an extremely unstable compound. As a result of the ongoing reactions, the elements of the cyano group CN volatilize, so the original compound loses its toxic properties. Humid air can have a negative effect on the toxic effect.

Smell

It is believed that potassium cyanide has a specific smell of rancid almonds, however, not all people are able to catch it. This is due to the individual characteristics of the olfactory apparatus of each person.

Where is cyanide found

What is cyanide in nature and where can it be found? In its pure form, cyanide potassium does not exist in nature, however, poisonous compounds of cyano groups - amygdalin, can be found in apricot, cherry, peach and plum pits. They can be found in almonds. Elderberry leaves and shoots also contain amygdalin.

The danger to the human body when using these products is hydrocyanic acid, which is formed during the breakdown of amygdalin. Death can occur after consuming just one gram of the substance, which corresponds to about 100 grams of apricot kernels.

In everyday life, cyanide can be found in reagents used in photographic laboratories, as well as in preparations for cleaning jewelry. Some of this substance is used in insect traps. Cyanides are added to artistic paints that have azure hues. Through interaction with iron, also found in gouaches and watercolors, they give a deep blue color.

Risk of poisoning

Hydrocyanic acid salts and cyanides are very toxic substances that can cause the most severe forms of poisoning. The greatest likelihood of getting poisoning from the action of cyanide is in people working in mining and ore processing mines and in electroplating shops. Here, potassium or sodium cyanides are used in technological processes when metals are catalyzed.

The risk of getting poisoned by such poisonous substances is also among people who are in the zone of toxic emissions from these enterprises. Thus, in the territory of Romania and Hungary in the early 2000s, as a result of accidental emissions from mining and processing enterprises into the Danube River, residents of the vicinity of the floodplain suffered.

Employees of special laboratories, in which these substances are used as reagents, are at risk of getting toxic cyanide poisoning.

Human exposure

Under the influence of the poison, the cell enzyme is blocked - cytochrome oxidase, which is responsible for the assimilation of oxygen in the cell. As a result, the cells are filled with oxygen, but they cannot assimilate it. This leads to the fact that in the body there is a violation of vital metabolic processes. The effect of such an impact is tantamount to suffocation.

Cyanides are poisonous if ingested with food or water; poisoning can result from inhalation of the vapors of the solution. Cyanides can penetrate damaged skin.

Even in small quantities, they are extremely dangerous for the health of living organisms. Due to their high toxicity, the use of these drugs is controlled with particular rigor.

Poisoning symptoms

Mild cyanide poisoning is accompanied by sore throat, dizziness, drooling, vomiting, and panic attack. In more severe forms, bitterness in the mouth increases, heart pains appear, a person loses consciousness, convulsions and paralysis of the respiratory tract begin. Severe poisoning is usually accompanied by uncontrolled urinary incontinence and bowel movements, excessive redness of the skin and mucous membranes. After these manifestations, death occurs.

First aid

To provide adequate assistance, it is first of all necessary to establish how the poison could have entered the victim's body. If the poisoning occurs through the skin, then it is necessary to change clothes, on which, most likely, particles of the poisonous substance remained. The victim himself must be wiped off with soapy water.

If the poison has entered the body along with food, then first of all it is necessary to induce vomiting and rinse the stomach. To do this, you need to drink a large amount of water with the addition of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) or baking soda. After washing the stomach, the victim is given any sweet drink. To relieve symptoms of poisoning, the victim must be removed to fresh air.

If the victim is unconscious, it is necessary to monitor his heartbeat and breathing. If there is no breathing, artificial respiration should be given. However, a person conducting such events should exclude possible poisoning with poison vapors and seek medical help.

In any case, you need to call an ambulance. Only a medical professional with special education and experience can take adequate treatment measures. Arriving doctors must be informed that the cause of the poisoning is hydrocyanic acid. In this case, the doctor will inject intravenously an antidote - sodium thiosulfate. The antidote helps to reduce the harmful effects of the poison. If necessary, the doctor will take resuscitation measures and hospitalize the victim for further treatment.

Antidotes

The lethal dose for humans is 17 mg per kilogram of total body weight. The lethal outcome occurs just a few minutes after a sufficient amount of poison has entered the body. However, this number is deemed to be conditional. The degree of poisoning depends on the route of ingestion, the physical characteristics of the person and the food consumed. With regular ingestion of small doses of cyanide poison, poisoning occurs gradually, over a long time.

It has been proven that when cyanide enters the body, ordinary glucose is a kind of antidote to the toxic property of the substance. Sugar promotes instant oxidation of hydrocyanic acid compounds and potassium salts. Therefore, people who come into contact with toxic compounds usually carry several lumps of sugar with them. At the first symptoms of poisoning, they eat it in order to neutralize the action of poisonous compounds.

Potassium cyanide is one of the most dangerous toxic substances. Poisoning with potassium cyanide can have the most severe consequences for the human body, up to and including death. Fortunately, today, intoxication with this toxic substance is considered rare and occurs most often among workers in hazardous chemical industries.

For many decades, potassium cyanide has been used in aristocratic circles to eliminate ill-wishers. To date, the substance is used in the industry, therefore, the likelihood of poisoning with potassium cyanide cannot be completely ruled out. It is very important to know all the symptoms of the action of the poison, as well as the basic methods of first aid.

Potassium cyanide - description of the substance

Potassium cyanide belongs to the category of cyanides - chemicals that are derivatives of hydrocyanic acid salts. The poisonous component has a white color, powdery consistency. A characteristic feature of the substance is the pronounced aroma of almonds, which, due to the genetic predisposition and anatomical features of the olfactory system, can be felt by no more than 50% of people.

Cyanides visually look like granulated sugar grains. The increased humidity of the air leads to the fact that the poison loses its resistance, breaking down into its constituent components. With the decay of potassium cyanide in the air, toxic fumes are formed, which become the cause of human poisoning.

For several centuries, potassium cyanide has been used in medicine. Today pharmacists have given up the use of this chemical. The main areas of its application are:

• jewelry making;
• mining;
• production of photographic goods;
• printing photographs;
• production of paints and varnishes;
• is part of some poisons for insects;
• manufacturing of plastics.

In small doses, hydrocyanic acid is present in the seeds of plums, apricots, cherries and peaches. Therefore, the use of such fruits must be approached with extreme caution.

Action on humans

Potassium cyanide has a quick toxic effect. In case of poisoning with hydrocyanic acid, serious changes occur in the human body - the production of one of the most important cellular enzymes called cytochrome oxidase is completely blocked.

This leads to disruption of oxygen metabolism in the body, the cells do not receive enough oxygen, and the received oxygen cannot fully assimilate. As a result, the process of oxygen starvation is actively developing, which leads to cell death. The most serious consequences of intoxication can be death from asphyxia.

The severity of the poisoning depends on the dose of the toxic substance taken:

1. 0.2 mg - death of the victim in the first 10-15 minutes.
2. 0.13 mg - death occurs within half an hour.
3. 0.1 mg - death within an hour after poisoning.

Cyanide intoxication can occur through the digestive organs - the stomach, intestines or esophagus, as well as through mucous tissues, skin, or respiratory tract.

Poisoning symptoms

The first symptoms of potassium cyanide poisoning depend on how much of the poisonous substance has entered the victim's body.

The main signs of hydrocyanic acid poisoning:

• severe headaches, migraines, dizziness;
• nausea, vomiting;
• stool disorders;
• increased body sweating;
• sharp jumps in blood pressure;
• burning and tickling in the larynx;
• tachycardia, shortness of breath;
• feeling of numbness in the mucous throat, debilitating cough.

This clinical picture is typical for a mild degree of intoxication with potassium cyanide. In the absence of first aid, the victim's condition deteriorates significantly - he develops spasms or paralysis of the upper and lower extremities, the heart rhythm is disturbed, and a coma may develop.

If a large amount of a toxic substance has entered the human body, the person develops other symptoms - tremors of the arms and legs, lack of pupil response to bright light, loss of consciousness, spontaneous emptying of the bladder and intestines. Severe intoxication requires immediate hospitalization, otherwise a fatal outcome is possible subsequently with paralysis of the respiratory system and blocking the work of the cardiovascular system.

With a lethal dose of potassium cyanide, the patient needs to administer an antidote within the first 5-15 minutes, as well as take emergency detoxification therapy measures. This is the only method to prevent the severe consequences of hydrocyanic acid poisoning.

Signs of chronic poisoning

Chronic poisoning with potassium cyanide develops as a result of prolonged penetration and accumulation of a toxic substance in the human body. Most often, chronic forms of intoxication are found in people whose professional activities are associated with harmful working conditions.

The main signs of chronic poisoning:

1. Regular headaches, turning into migraines, dizziness.
2. Painful spasms in the area of ​​the heart muscle.
3. Sleep disturbances.
4. Memory impairment, inability to concentrate.
5. Increased sweating.
6. Frequent urge to empty the bladder.
7. Decreased sex drive.

In the case of chronic intoxication of the body with hydrocyanic acid, disturbances occur in the work of the most important internal organs and systems. Most often, the cardiovascular, nervous and reproductive systems are affected. Also, in many cases, there is dysfunction of the endocrine system, a sharp decrease in body weight.

With direct contact with cyanide compounds, the skin is damaged - peeling, itching, eczema, rashes, deep wounds and ulcers occur.

First aid for poisoning

The severity of the consequences of potassium cyanide poisoning depends on how quickly the first aid is provided to the victim. The first thing to do is call an ambulance. After that, you can begin to alleviate the person's condition.

The victim must be taken out into the fresh air, and if this is not possible, open the window wide and unbutton the collar of his clothes. If the poisonous substance is on the patient's clothes, it should be undressed, and the eyes should be thoroughly rinsed.

Gastric lavage is also considered effective in the penetration of potassium cyanide into the digestive system. For this purpose, you can use warm water with added sugar, a weak solution of potassium permanganate or soda. To remove toxic substances, you can use drugs with a laxative effect.

If the victim has lost consciousness, in no case should artificial respiration "mouth to mouth" be given to him. As a result of such activities, a healthy person can also be poisoned by vapors of potassium cyanide. If the victim is conscious, you can give the poisoned person a few glasses of water with sugar to drink. You need to drink in small sips, then press your fingers on the root of the tongue, provoking vomiting.

Treatment

Treatment of intoxication with hydrocyanic acid is carried out in a hospital setting. The most important element of therapy is the introduction of an antidote - it is best to do this in the first 5-20 minutes after poisoning.

The following means are used to cleanse the victim's body:

• sodium thiosulfate;
• 5% glucose solution;
• amyl nitrite;
• nitroglycerin and other medicines.

Potassium cyanide is a dangerous chemical, contact with which can lead not only to poisoning, but also to death. When working with cyanides, it is very important to follow all the rules of personal safety, and in case of intoxication, immediately provide the victim with first aid.

In the video below you can learn more about hydrocyanic acid - varieties, effects on the human body, the main symptoms of poisoning and first aid.

DAMAGE BY POISONOUS SUBSTANCES OF GENERAL TOXIC EFFECT: SYNYLIC ACID AND POTASSIUM CYANIDE

Hydrocyanic acid and potassium cyanide are general toxic substances, as well as sodium, cyanogen chloride, cyanogen bromide, carbon monoxide.
For the first time, hydrocyanic acid was synthesized by the Swedish scientist Karl Scheele in 1782. History knows the use of cyanides for mass destruction of people. During the First World War (1916 on the Somme River), the French army used hydrocyanic acid as a poisonous substance; in Hitler's extermination camps, the Nazis (1943-1945) used poisonous gases cyclones (cyanoformic acid esters), American troops in South Vietnam (1963) used toxic organic cyanides (gases of the CS type) against the civilian population. It is also known that in the United States the death penalty is used by poisoning convicts with hydrocyanic acid vapors in a special cell.
Due to their high chemical activity and the ability to interact with numerous compounds of various classes, cyanides are widely used in many industries, agriculture, scientific research, and this creates many opportunities for intoxication.
Thus, hydrocyanic acid and a large number of its derivatives are used in the extraction of precious metals from ores, in electroplating and silvering, in the production of aromatic substances, chemical fibers, plastics, rubber, organic glass, plant growth stimulants, and herbicides. Cyanides are also used as insecticides, fertilizers and defoliants. Hydrocyanic acid is released in a gaseous state in many industrial processes. There may also be cyanide poisoning due to the consumption of large quantities of seeds of almonds, peaches, apricots, cherries, plums and other plants of the Rosaceae family or tinctures from their fruits. It turned out that they all contain the glycoside amygdalin, which decomposes in the body under the influence of the enzyme emulsin to form hydrocyanic acid, benzaldehyde and 2 glucose molecules. The largest amount of amygdalin is found in bitter almonds (up to 3%) and apricot seeds (up to 2%).
Physicochemical properties and toxicity of hydrocyanic acid
Hydrocyanic acid - HCN - is a colorless, easily boiling (at 26 ° C) liquid with a bitter almond smell, with a specific gravity of 0.7, freezes at - 13.4 C. Cyanide poisoning develops upon inhalation of vapors of a toxic substance, upon ingestion through the skin and through the mouth. In wartime, the most probable is the inhalation route of their entry into the body. According to the WHO, Lt50 of hydrocyanic acid is 2 g / min / m3. In case of oral poisoning, lethal doses for humans are: HCN - 1 mg / kg, KCN - 2.5 mg / kg; NaСN - 1.8 mg / kg.
Mechanism of toxic action
The mechanism of action of hydrocyanic acid has been studied in some detail. It is a substance that causes tissue-type oxygen deprivation. At the same time, there is a high oxygen content in both arterial and venous blood and thus a decrease in the arterio-venous difference, a sharp decrease in oxygen consumption by tissues with a decrease in the formation of carbon dioxide in them.
It was found that cyanides interfere with the redox processes in tissues, disrupting the activation of oxygen by cytochrome oxidase. (The lecturer can dwell in more detail on modern concepts of cellular respiration).
Hydrocyanic acid and its salts, dissolved in the blood, reach the tissues, where they interact with the trivalent form of iron cytochrome oxidase. When combined with cyanide, cytochrome oxidase loses the ability to transfer electrons to molecular oxygen. As a result of the failure of the final oxidation link, the entire respiratory chain is blocked and tissue hypoxia develops. Oxygen is delivered to the tissues in sufficient quantities with arterial blood, but it is not absorbed by them and passes unchanged into the venous bed. At the same time, the processes of formation of macroergs necessary for the normal functioning of various organs and systems are disrupted. Glycolysis is activated, that is, the exchange from aerobic to anaerobic. The activity of other enzymes is also suppressed - catalase, peroxidase, lactate dehydrogenase.
The effect of cyanides on various organs and systems
Effects on the nervous system... As a result of tissue hypoxia, which develops under the influence of hydrocyanic acid, the functions of the central nervous system are primarily impaired. Cyanides in toxic doses cause at the beginning the excitement of the central nervous system, and then its depression. In particular, at the beginning of intoxication, the excitation of the respiratory and vasomotor centers is observed. This is manifested by an increase in blood pressure and the development of severe shortness of breath. The extreme form of excitation of the central nervous system is clonic-tonic seizures. The pronounced excitement of the nervous system is replaced by paralysis (of the respiratory and vasomotor centers).
Effects on the respiratory system... In the picture of acute poisoning, a pronounced increase in the frequency and depth of breathing is observed. The developing shortness of breath, apparently, should be considered as a compensatory reaction of the body to hypoxia. The stimulating effect of cyanides on respiration is due to the excitation of the chemoreceptors of the carotid sinus and the direct action of the poison on the cells of the respiratory center. The initial excitement of respiration, as intoxication develops, is replaced by its oppression, up to a complete stop. The causes of these disorders are tissue hypoxia and depletion of energy resources in the cells of the carotid sinus and in the centers of the medulla oblongata.
Effects on the cardiovascular system... In the initial period of intoxication, a slowdown in the heart rate is observed. An increase in blood pressure and an increase in the minute volume of the heart occur due to the excitation of chemoreceptors of the carotid sinus and cells of the vasomotor center by cyanides, on the one hand, the release of catecholamines from the adrenal glands and, as a result, vasospasm, on the other. As the poisoning progresses, blood pressure drops, the pulse quickens, acute cardiovascular failure develops, and cardiac arrest occurs.
Changes in the blood system... The content of erythrocytes in the blood increases, which is explained in the reflex contraction of the spleen in response to developing hypoxia. The color of the venous blood becomes bright scarlet due to the excess oxygen content that is not absorbed by the tissues. The arterio-venous oxygen difference decreases sharply. When tissue respiration is suppressed, both the gas and the biochemical composition of the blood change. The content of CO2 in the blood decreases due to less formation and increased release during hyperventilation. This leads at the beginning of the development of intoxication to gas alkalosis, which is changed by metabolic acidosis, which is a consequence of the activation of glycolysis processes. Under-oxidized metabolic products accumulate in the blood. The content of lactic acid increases, the content of acetone bodies increases, hyperglycemia is noted. The development of hypothermia is explained by the violation of redox processes in tissues. Thus, hydrocyanic acid and its salts cause tissue hypoxia and associated respiratory, circulatory, metabolic, and central nervous system disorders, the severity of which depends on the severity of intoxication.
CLINICAL PICTURE OF CYANIDE POISONING
Cyanide poisoning is characterized by the early appearance of signs of intoxication, the rapid development of oxygen starvation phenomena, a predominant lesion of the central nervous system and a probable death in a short time.
Distinguish between lightning and delayed forms. When a large amount of poison enters the body, death can occur almost instantly. The affected person immediately loses consciousness, breathing becomes frequent and shallow, the pulse quickens, arrhythmic, convulsions occur. The convulsive period is short, breathing stops and death occurs. With a delayed form, the development of poisoning can stretch over time and proceed in different ways.
Mild poisoning characterized mainly by subjective disorders: irritation of the upper respiratory tract, conjunctiva of the eyes, an unpleasant burning-bitter taste in the mouth, there is a smell of bitter almonds, weakness and dizziness appear. A little later, there is a feeling of numbness of the oral mucosa, salivation and nausea. At the slightest physical effort, shortness of breath and severe muscle weakness, tinnitus, difficulty speaking, and vomiting are possible. After the cessation of the action of the poison, all unpleasant sensations subside. However, headaches, muscle weakness, nausea and a feeling of general fatigue may remain for several days. With a mild degree of intoxication, complete recovery occurs.
With intoxication medium at first, the subjective disorders described above are noted, and then a state of excitement arises, a feeling of fear of death appears. The mucous membranes and skin acquire a scarlet color, the pulse is reduced and tense, blood pressure rises, breathing becomes shallow, and short-term clonic seizures may occur. With timely assistance and removal from the contaminated atmosphere, the poisoned person quickly regains consciousness. In the next 3-6 days, weakness, malaise, general weakness, headache, discomfort in the region of the heart, tachycardia, and restless sleep are noted.
In the clinical picture severe intoxication there are four stages: initial, dyspnoetic, convulsive and paralytic. The initial stage is characterized mainly by subjective sensations described above when describing mild poisoning. It is short-lived and goes to the next one. For the dyspnoetic stage, some signs of tissue-type oxygen starvation are typical: scarlet color of mucous membranes and skin, gradually increasing weakness, general anxiety, and unpleasant sensations in the region of the heart. The poisoned one has a feeling of fear of death, the pupils dilate, the pulse decreases, breathing becomes frequent and deep. In the convulsive stage, the condition of the affected person deteriorates sharply. Consciousness is lost, the corneal reflex is sluggish, the pupils do not react to light. Exophthalmos appears, breathing becomes arrhythmic, rare, blood pressure rises, pulse rate decreases. Common clonic-tonic seizures occur. The scarlet color of the skin and mucous membranes is preserved. The duration of this stage can vary from several minutes to several hours. With a further deterioration in the condition of the affected, the paralytic stage develops. Convulsions by this time have stopped, however, the patient has a deep coma with a complete loss of sensitivity and reflexes, muscle weakness, involuntary urination and defecation are possible. Respiration is rare, irregular. Then there comes a complete cessation of breathing, the pulse quickens, becomes arrhythmic, the blood pressure drops and after a few minutes the cardiac activity stops.
Consequences and complications typical for severe intoxication. For several weeks after the transferred lesion, persistent and profound changes in the neuropsychic sphere may persist. As a rule, asthenic syndrome persists for 10-15 days. Patients complain of increased fatigue, decreased performance, headache, and poor sleep. Disorders of motor coordination, persistent disorders of a cerebellar nature, paresis and paralysis of various muscle groups, difficulty speaking, mental disorders can be observed. From co-
pneumonia is in the first place. Its occurrence is facilitated by aspiration of mucus, vomit, prolonged stay of patients in a supine position. Changes are also observed in the cardiovascular system. Within 1-2 weeks, there are unpleasant sensations in the region of the heart, single extrasystoles, tachycardia, lability of the pulse and blood pressure indicators, ECG changes are traced (signs of coronary insufficiency).
DIAGNOSTICS OF POISONING WITH BLUE ACID
The diagnosis of hydrocyanic acid lesions is based on the following signs: sudden onset of symptoms of the lesion, the sequence of development and the transience of the clinical picture, the smell of bitter almonds in the exhaled air, scarlet color of the skin and mucous membranes, wide pupils and exophthalmos.
TREATMENT OF POISONS WITH BLUE ACID
The effect of helping poisoned cyanides depends on the speed of application of antidotes and agents that normalize the functions of vital organs and systems.
Methemoglobin-forming substances, substances containing sulfur and carbohydrates have antidote properties. Methemoglobin-formers include anticyanogen, amyl nitrite, sodium nitrite, methylene blue. They oxidize the iron of hemoglobin, converting it into methemoglobin. Methemoglobin containing ferric iron is able to compete with cytochrome oxidase for cyanide. It should be borne in mind that methemoglobin is not able to bind to oxygen, therefore, strictly defined doses of these agents must be used, since when hemoglobin is inactivated by more than 25-30%, hemic hypoxia develops. Methemoglobin primarily binds cyanide dissolved in the blood. With a decrease in the concentration of cyanide in the blood, conditions are created for the restoration of the activity of cytochrome oxidase and the normalization of tissue respiration. This is due to the reverse flow of cyanide from tissues into the blood - towards its lower concentration. The formed cyanogen-methemoglobin complex is a fragile compound. After 1-1.5 hours, this complex begins to gradually disintegrate with the formation of hemoglobin and cyanide. Therefore, a relapse of intoxication is possible. However, the dissociation process is extended in time, which makes it possible to neutralize the poison with other antidotes.
The standard antidote from the group of methemoglobin-formers is anti-cyanogen.
In case of poisoning with hydrocyanic acid, the first injection of anticyanine in the form of a 20% solution is performed in a volume of 1.0 ml intramuscularly or 0.75 ml intravenously. When administered intravenously, the drug is diluted in 10 ml of a 25-40% glucose solution or saline solution, the rate of administration is 3 ml per minute. If necessary, after 30 min. the antidote can be re-administered at a dose of 1.0 ml, but only intramuscularly. After another 30-40 minutes. a third injection at the same dose can be carried out if indicated.
Sodium nitrite is a powerful methemoglobin-forming agent. Aqueous solutions of the drug are prepared ex tempore, since they are unstable during storage. When assisting poisoned people, sodium nitrite is slowly injected intravenously in the form of a 1-2% solution in a volume of 10-20 ml.
Amyl nitrite and propyl nitrite have a methemoglobin-forming effect. Methylene blue has a partial methemoglobin-forming effect.
Substances containing sulfur. When substances containing sulfur interact with cyanide, non-toxic thiocyanate compounds are formed. Sodium thiosulfate was found to be the most effective sulfur donor. Introduced intravenously, 20-50 ml of a 30% solution. It reliably neutralizes agents. The disadvantage is the relatively slow action.
The next group of antidotes has the property of converting cyanogen to non-toxic cyanohydrins. This property is observed in carbohydrates. Glucose has a pronounced antitoxic effect, which is recommended to be administered in a dose of 30-50 ml of a 25% solution. In addition, glucose has a beneficial effect on respiration, heart function and increases urine output.
An antidote effect is observed when using cobalt salts, which, when interacting with cyanides, lead to the formation of non-toxic cyano-cobalt compounds.
The effect of antidotes is enhanced when they are used against the background of oxygen barotherapy. It has been shown that oxygen under pressure promotes a more rapid restoration of cytochrome oxidase activity.
There is information about the beneficial therapeutic effect of unitiol, which, not being a sulfur donor, activates the enzyme rhodonase, and thus accelerates the detoxification process. Therefore, it is advisable to introduce unitiol along with sulfur donors.
Antidote therapy for hydrocyanic acid lesions, as a rule, is carried out in combination: first, methemoglobin-formers are used, then sulfur donors and substances that promote the formation of cyanohydrins.
In addition to the use of antidotes, it is necessary to carry out all the general principles of treatment of the poisoned (removal of non-absorbed and absorbed poison, prevention of further intake of poison into the organs by the method of forced removal, symptomatic therapy, resuscitation measures).
STEP TREATMENT
Poisoning develops quickly, so medical care is urgent.
First aid in the outbreak includes putting on a gas mask on the poisoned person. Then evacuation is carried out outside the outbreak. Those affected in an unconscious state and convulsive stage of intoxication need to be evacuated lying down.
First aid is carried out outside the hearth, which allows you to remove the gas mask. Anticyanogen is introduced - 1 ml intramuscularly, if necessary, cordiamine, mechanical ventilation.
First aid. The anticyant is reintroduced. If it was not prescribed at the stage of first aid, it is desirable to carry out the first injection intravenously in 10 ml of 25-40% glucose solution. Subsequently, 20-50 ml of a 30% sodium thiosulfate solution is injected intravenously. According to indications, intramuscularly 2 ml of etymizole and cordiamine solution, mechanical ventilation are used.
Further evacuation is carried out only after the elimination of convulsions and normalization of breathing. On the way, it is necessary to provide assistance in case of relapses of intoxication.
Qualified therapeutic assistance consists primarily of urgent measures: repeated administration of antidotes (anticyanogen, sodium thiosulfate, glucose), injections of cordiamine, etymizole, mechanical ventilation (hardware method). Delayed measures of qualified therapeutic care include the introduction of antibiotics, sulfonamides, desensitizing agents, vitamins.
Those affected in a coma and convulsive state are not transportable. The evacuation of seriously injured patients is carried out in the VPTG, in the presence of neurological disorders - in the VPNG, those who have undergone mild intoxication remain in the medical hospital (OMO).
Specialized care is provided in the relevant therapeutic hospitals (VPTG, VPNG) in full. At the end of the treatment, convalescents are transferred to the IHRL, in the presence of persistent changes in the nervous, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, patients are subject to referral to the IHC.

April 25th, 2016

At school, I did not like chemistry and could hardly pull out on a C, but they put "4" because I went to the "silver medal". At the institute, chemistry in the first year barely pulled out and was immensely happy when it ended altogether. But damn it, it's very interesting to read about this in popular science language. Here's an example:

Cyanides, that is, hydrocyanic acid and its salts, are far from the most powerful poisons in nature. However, they are definitely the most famous and perhaps the most used in books and movies.

The history of cyanides can be confidently traced almost from the first written sources that have come down to us. The ancient Egyptians, for example, used peach pits to obtain a deadly essence, which is simply called "peach" in the papyri on display at the Louvre.

Lethal Peach Fusion

Peach, like two and a half hundred other plants, including almonds, cherries, sweet cherries, plums, belongs to the genus of plum. The seeds of the fruits of these plants contain the substance amygdalin - a glycoside, which perfectly illustrates the concept of "lethal synthesis". This term is not entirely correct, it would be more correct to call the phenomenon "lethal metabolism": in its course, a harmless (and sometimes even useful) compound is broken down by enzymes and other substances into a potent poison. In the stomach, amygdalin undergoes hydrolysis, and one glucose molecule is split off from its molecule - prunazine is formed (some of it is contained in the seeds of berries and fruits initially). Further, enzyme systems (prunazine-β-glucosidase) are included in the work, which "bite off" the last remaining glucose, after which the compound mandelonitrile remains from the original molecule. In fact, this is a meta compound, which sometimes sticks together into a single molecule, then again breaks down into its components - benzaldehyde (a weak poison with a half-lethal dose, that is, a dose that causes the death of half of the members of the test group, DL50 - 1.3 g / kg of rat body weight) and hydrocyanic acid (DL50 - 3.7 mg / kg rat body weight). It is these two substances in pair that provide the characteristic smell of bitter almonds.

In the medical literature, there are no confirmed deaths after eating peach or apricot pits, although cases of poisoning have been described that required hospitalization. And there is a fairly simple explanation for this: only raw bones are needed for the formation of poison, and you will not eat a lot of them. Why raw? For amygdalin to turn into hydrocyanic acid, enzymes are necessary, and under the influence of high temperature (sunlight, boiling, frying) they are denatured. So compotes, preserves and "red-hot" bones are completely safe. Purely theoretically, poisoning with a tincture on fresh cherries or apricots is possible, since there are no denaturing factors in this case. But there another mechanism for neutralizing the resulting hydrocyanic acid, described at the end of the article, comes into play.

Color heavenly, blue

Why is the acid called hydrocyanic acid? The cyano group in combination with iron gives a rich, bright blue color. The most famous compound is Prussian blue, a mixture of hexacyanoferrates with the idealized formula Fe7 (CN) 18. It was from this dye that hydrogen cyanide was isolated in 1704. He also obtained pure hydrocyanic acid and determined its structure in 1782 by the outstanding Swedish chemist Karl Wilhelm Scheele. Legend has it that four years later, on his wedding day, Scheele died at his desk. Among the reagents surrounding him was HCN.

Military background

The effectiveness of cyanide for the targeted elimination of the enemy at all times beckoned the military. But large-scale experiments became possible only at the beginning of the 20th century, when methods for the production of cyanide in industrial quantities were developed.
On July 1, 1916, the French used hydrogen cyanide against German troops for the first time in the battles near the Somme River. However, the attack failed: HCN vapors were lighter than air and quickly evaporated at high temperatures, so the "chlorine" trick with an ominous cloud spreading along the ground could not be repeated. Attempts to make hydrogen cyanide heavier with arsenic trichloride, tin chloride and chloroform were unsuccessful, so the use of cyanides had to be forgotten. More precisely, postpone - until the Second World War.

The German school of chemistry and the chemical industry at the beginning of the 20th century were unmatched. Outstanding scientists, including the 1918 Nobel laureate Fritz Haber, worked for the good of the country. Under his leadership, a team of researchers at the newly formed German Pest Control Society (Degesch) modified hydrocyanic acid, which had been used as a fumigant since the late 19th century. To reduce the volatility of the compound, German chemists used an adsorbent. Before use, the pellets had to be immersed in water to release the accumulated insecticide. The product was named "Cyclone". In 1922, Degesch was taken over by the Degussa Company as the sole proprietor. In 1926, a patent was registered for a group of developers for the second, highly successful version of the insecticide - "Cyclone B", which was distinguished by a more powerful sorbent, the presence of a stabilizer, as well as an irritant that irritated the eyes - to avoid accidental poisoning.

Meanwhile, Haber has been actively promoting the idea of ​​chemical weapons since the First World War, and many of his developments were of purely military significance. “If soldiers die in a war, what difference does it make - from what exactly,” he said. Haber's scientific and business career was steadily going uphill, and he naively believed that his services to Germany had long ago made him a full-fledged German. However, for the rising Nazis, he was primarily a Jew. Haber began to look for work in other countries, but, despite all his scientific achievements, many scientists did not forgive him for the development of chemical weapons. Nevertheless, in 1933, Haber and his family left for France, then to Spain, then to Switzerland, where he died in January 1934, fortunately for himself not having time to see for what purposes the Nazis used the "Cyclone B".

Mode of operandi

Vapors of hydrocyanic acid are not very effective as a poison when inhaled, but when ingested DL50 salts are only 2.5 mg / kg of body weight (for potassium cyanide). Cyanides block the last stage of the transfer of protons and electrons by the chain of respiratory enzymes from oxidized substrates to oxygen, that is, they stop cellular respiration. This process is not fast - minutes even with ultra-high doses. But the cinema, showing the rapid action of cyanides, is not lying: the first phase of poisoning - loss of consciousness - really occurs in a few seconds. Agony lasts a few more minutes - convulsions, rise and fall of blood pressure, and only then comes the cessation of breathing and cardiac activity.
At lower doses, several periods of poisoning can even be tracked. First, a bitter taste and burning sensation in the mouth, salivation, nausea, headache, rapid breathing, impaired coordination of movements, increasing weakness. Later, excruciating shortness of breath joins, there is not enough oxygen to the tissues, so the brain gives the command to increase and deepen breathing (this is a very characteristic symptom). Gradually, breathing is suppressed, another characteristic symptom appears - a short inhalation and a very long exhalation. The pulse becomes more rare, the pressure drops, the pupils dilate, the skin and mucous membranes turn pink, and not turn blue or pale, as in other cases of hypoxia. If the dose is non-lethal, that's all; after a few hours, the symptoms disappear. Otherwise, there is a turn of loss of consciousness and seizures, and then arrhythmia occurs, and cardiac arrest is possible. Sometimes paralysis and prolonged (up to several days) coma develop.

Almonds and others

Amygdalin is found in plants of the Rosaceae family (genus plum - cherry, cherry plum, sakura, sweet cherry, peach, apricot, almond, bird cherry, plum), as well as in representatives of the families of cereals, legumes, adox (elderberry genus), flax (flax genus), euphorbia (genus cassava). The amount of amygdalin in berries and fruits depends on many different factors. So, in apple seeds it can be from 1 to 4 mg / kg. In freshly squeezed apple juice - 0.01-0.04 mg / ml, and in packaged juice - 0.001-0.007 ml / ml. For comparison, apricot kernels contain 89-2170 mg / kg.

Poisoned - poison

Cyanides have a very high affinity for ferric iron, which is why they rush into cells for respiratory enzymes. So the idea of ​​a decoy for the poison was in the air. It was first implemented in 1929 by the Romanian researchers Mladoveanu and Gheorghiu, who first poisoned the dog with a lethal dose of cyanide and then rescued it with intravenous sodium nitrite. This food supplement E250 is being defrauded by all and sundry, but the animal, by the way, survived: sodium nitrite in conjunction with hemoglobin forms methemoglobin, which cyanides in the blood “peck at” better than respiratory enzymes, which still need to get inside cells.
Nitrites oxidize hemoglobin very quickly, so that one of the most effective antidotes (antidotes) - amyl nitrite, isoamyl ether of nitrous acid - just inhale from a cotton swab like ammonia. Later it turned out that methemoglobin not only binds the cyanide ions circulating in the blood, but also unblocks the respiratory enzymes "closed" by them. The group of methemoglobin-formers, although already slower, includes the dye methylene blue (known as "blue").

There is also a downside to the coin: when injected intravenously, nitrites themselves become poisons. So it is possible to saturate the blood with methemoglobin only with strict control of its content, no more than 25-30% of the total mass of hemoglobin. There is one more nuance: the binding reaction is reversible, that is, after a while the formed complex disintegrates and cyanide ions rush into the cells to their traditional targets. So one more line of defense is needed, which is used, for example, cobalt compounds (cobalt salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, hydroxycobalamin - one of the B12 vitamins), as well as the anticoagulant heparin, beta-hydroxyethylmethyleneamine, hydroquinone, sodium thiosulfate.

It does not heal, but cripples!

Amygdalin is popular with paramedical charlatans who call themselves representatives of alternative medicine. Since 1961, under the brand name "Laetrile" or under the name "Vitamin B17", a semi-synthetic analogue of amygdalin has been actively promoted as a "drug for the treatment of cancer." There is no scientific basis for this. In 2005, in the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy, a case of severe cyanide poisoning was described: a 68-year-old patient was taking Laetrile, as well as hyperdoses of vitamin C, hoping to increase the prophylactic effect. As it turned out, such a combination leads exactly in the opposite direction from health.

Rasputin's casus

But the most interesting antidote is much simpler and more accessible. At the end of the 19th century, chemists noticed that cyanides are converted into non-toxic compounds when interacting with sugar (this happens especially effectively in solution). The mechanism of this phenomenon in 1915 was explained by the German scientists Rupp and Golze: cyanides, reacting with substances containing an aldehyde group, form cyanohydrins. Such groups are found in glucose, and the amygdalin mentioned at the beginning of the article is essentially cyanide neutralized by glucose.
If Prince Yusupov or one of the conspirators who joined him - Purishkevich or the Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich knew about this - they would not start filling cakes (where sucrose was already hydrolyzed to glucose) and wine (where glucose is also available) intended for treats to Grigory Rasputin, potassium cyanide. However, it is believed that he was not hounded at all, and the story of the poison appeared to confuse the investigation. No poison was found in the stomach of the "royal friend," but that doesn't mean anything - no one was looking for cyanohydrins there.

Glucose has its advantages: for example, it is able to restore hemoglobin. This turns out to be very useful for "picking up" the detached cyanide ions when using nitrites and other "poisonous antidotes". There is even a ready-made preparation, "chromosmon" - a 1% solution of methylene blue in a 25% glucose solution. But there are also annoying disadvantages. First, cyanohydrins are formed slowly, much more slowly than methemoglobin. Secondly, they are formed only in the blood and only before the poison enters the cells to the respiratory enzymes. In addition, eating cyanide potassium with a piece of sugar will not work: sucrose does not react with cyanides directly, it is necessary that it first breaks down into glucose with fructose. So if you are afraid of cyanide poisoning, it is better to carry an ampoule of amyl nitrite with you - crush it in a scarf and breathe for 10-15 seconds. And then you can call an ambulance and complain that you have been poisoned with cyanide. Doctors will be surprised!