Rats are a very common pest in the the household, the population of these group of animals has become so increasing in our homes over the years and the kind of destruction and damages they cause have make man to find various ways to reduce their prevalence or rather their total extermination.
Although there are many ways to capture these animals in other to prevent them from causing more damage,but the most common way is through the use of rat poison.
This method is known to be the most easiest, stress free and effective method which most people people preferred.
Rat poison is used to kill rats and It is also called rodenticide. Rat poison is generally used in areas where there are rats such as homes, garages, farms etc. Rat poison is made of several ingredients. They have one function in common and that is to kill the rat when it is been ingested. Rat poison ingested by humans can also be lethal.
The use of rat poison has been proved to have caused several damages in human and poisoning in humans can be accidental, suicidal or homicidal. The amount of time it takes for symptoms to appear depends upon the amount of rat poison ingested and the number of days it is ingested. It is important to note that symptoms of rat poisoning may occur even when a person hasn’t ingested rat poison. This is because warfarin, a component of rat poison, is also used in medicine as a blood thinner.
The symptoms in human appear depending on the type of poison ingested, its amount and number of days.
Common Active Ingredients in Rat Poison
These active ingredients include :
- Zinc phosphate
- Warfarin
- Brodificoum
- Diphacinone
- Arsenic
- Bromadiolone e.t.c
Symptoms of Rat Poison in Human
Bleeding
Most rat poisons that are sold on the market contain long acting anticoagulants (LAACs), which keep the body from clotting normally and causes internal bleeding. When rat poison is ingested in a large enough amount by human being, the effects will come on in the next week and get progressively worse. Symptoms will include large and small lumps under the skin, bloody urine and bloody vomiting, among other signs of sickness which may be difficult to control. Additionally, the person may bruise easily and cuts may take longer than normal to clot. Even normal contact with everyday items may cause a bruise. Women may notice bruising under bra straps. Bruising may be noticed near waistbands, watches or rings, also nausea and vomiting of blood, bleeding in urine and stool and pain in abdomen.
Fortunately, if caught and treated soon enough, this will not cause any long lasting permanent damage.
Heart and Lung Complications
Some rat poisons contain large amounts of phosphides, which come in a gummy worm-type form that the rodents will eat. This results in phosphide gas in the stomach, which causes those who ingest it to bloat and vomit profusely. While humans rarely ingest this type of poison, pets are drawn to it as much as rats. An added complication comes when a dog or cat vomits up the poison, a gas will rise off of it that still contains the poison, which can then be inhaled by humans and poison them.
Kidney Failure
There is a toxin used in certain incredibly toxic rat poisons called cholecalciferol that is also known as vitamin D3. These rodenticides, which are vitamin-D3-based, are some of the most dangerous out there, as it causes an excess of calcium in the bloodstream of all animals who ingest it, which will quickly cause kidney failure. This damage, once the poison is ingested, is almost irreparable and will lead to long-term organ failure within the body.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are all symptoms of rat poisoning. In some cases, the diarrhea may be blood-streaked. Abdominal cramping and indigestion are also possible. These symptoms may appear suddenly if a large amount of rat poison is ingested; however, if only a small amount of rat poison is ingested daily, gastrointestinal symptoms may appear gradually over a period of days.
There are also many other symptoms of rat poisoning in human ranging from less common symptoms of rat poisoning which include hair loss, fever, seizures, nerve damage, lethargy, restlessness, chills, dementia and nasal complications. And also other serious complications of rat poisoning such as seizures, respiratory distress, trouble breathing, heart attack, internal bleeding, liver failure, shock and death.
Treatment For Rat Poison In Human
As soon as a person is known to have consumed rat poison, the patient must be immediately transferred to an emergency room of the hospital,so the doctors can secure the airway and see that the patient is hemodynamically stable. Activated charcoal may be used to prevent absorption of remaining ingested toxin. The doctor may also take steps and use medicines to induce vomiting so that the remnant poison in stomach can be flushed out.
In case of anti coagulant based rat poison, vitamin K is used as an antidote. If zinc phosphide is the ingredient of rat poison, patient is given all the supportive treatment because there is no antidote available for it. Patient may need ventilator support if he is having severe breathing difficulty. Blood transfusion may be necessary if there is destruction of red blood cells from phosphine gas. And lastly, been extra careful in handling rat poison and make sure they are far from the reach of children.
NOTE: All observations and corrections made on this post are welcomed.
