Many people know about potassium cyanide poisoning. The substance has long been used in criminal purposes to eliminate unwanted individuals. However, these days there are ways quick definition poisoning similar substance there is an antidote. What happens if you drink potassium cyanide? How dangerous is the poison to human health?

What it is

What is potassium cyanide? Dangerous compound, hydrocyanic acid derivative. Discovered in 1845 by a German professor, the formula is KCN. The basis of the poisonous substance is hydrocyanic acid and interacting with it potassium hydroxide.

In the outside world, pure potassium cyanide is not found. However, in the bones of apricots, cherries, peaches, almonds, the compound amygdalin is present, and when split it forms hydrocyanic acid. The resulting toxin acts on humans in a similar way to cyanide.

The harmful compound is found in young elderberry shoots, which causes intoxication in pets.

Poisonings are also diagnosed in industries where they come into contact with a poisonous substance.

Physicochemical characteristics

What does potassium look like in a compound? It is a powder with a crystalline structure, colorless. The compound is highly soluble in water. What does the toxin smell like? It is believed that a solution of potassium cyanide exudes the aroma of bitter almonds.

However, not all people are able to feel it. The cyanide poison is simply displaced in reactions, the compound has low stability and quickly loses harmful properties. Potassium cyanide is oxidized under the influence of moist air and in a solution of glucose, therefore, in case of poisoning, it is used as an antidote.

An overdose of potassium cyanide is rare. There are a number of reasons that can provoke the development of such a phenomenon.

Factors:

• Accidents at work leading to the rapid spread of toxic fumes;
• Failure to comply with the rules for storing poison at home;
• Violation of safety regulations when working with a poisonous substance.

Poisoning can occur at work by inhaling poison concentrated in the air - through Airways it enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. Signs of intoxication appear after a short period of time.

Negative consequences possible if cyanide gets on damaged skin or mucous membranes. The toxin spreads through the blood.

Ingestion of potassium cyanide occurs as a result of inattention or for criminal purposes.

How does potassium cyanide affect the body?

When a toxic substance penetrates inside, a specific cellular enzyme is blocked, which saturates the cells with oxygen. Due to the presence of gas in the blood, the cells begin to gradually die, which provokes the death of the body. The result is similar to death from lack of air.

The lethal dosage of this poison is 1.7 mg/kg of body weight. The indicator varies depending on age, condition, gender, and the presence of other diseases.

Potassium cyanide is equated with potent poisons and treated with serious attention. Workers in constant contact with the compound hold a small piece of sugar in their mouths.

This action helps to neutralize small doses of the toxin that enters the body. It is recommended to know that with a full stomach, the absorption of poison is slow.

Useful properties of a chemical compound

The cyanide compound not only leads to poisoning, but is also useful. Toxic powder is present in many areas of life.

Application:

1. Galvanic production;
2. mining industry;
3. photo labs;
4. In jewelry production;
5. Small volumes are used by entomologists for the "preservation" of insects;
6. Included in the composition of artistic paints - Prussian blue, milori;

It can also be found in insect and rodent control products. It is required to carefully monitor where the toxic substance is located, do not leave containers with powder in places accessible to children and animals.

Chronic forms of poisoning are also possible in people who do not work with the toxin. The use of water contaminated with industrial waste for domestic purposes can lead to disruption internal organs and systems.

If you drink, what will happen?

Potassium cyanide reacts with blood after a short period of time. Lack of oxygen in the cells leads to disruption of all processes in the body. The victim has a blush on his face, the skin becomes light pink, the venous blood acquires a bright scarlet hue due to the increased oxygen content.

There is a violation of the respiratory function, the person simply begins to suffocate. However, when using a small dose of a poisonous substance, death does not occur immediately. The victim loses consciousness, if at this moment you do not help, then the person will die.

How does poisoning manifest itself? Potassium cyanide intoxication conditionally consists of four stages. Each is characterized by the presence of specific manifestations.

Stages and signs:

💡 Prodromal. Symptoms of poisoning only appear.

• bitter taste in oral cavity, unpleasant taste sensations;
• Mucous membranes irritated;
• Tickle in the throat;
• The separation of saliva increases;
• There is a slight numbness of the mucous membranes;
• Nausea, vomiting, dizziness;
• Unpleasant sensations and soreness in the sternum;

💡 The second stage is characterized by the development of oxygen starvation in the body.

1. Arterial pressure decreases;
2. Soreness in the chest becomes more intense;
3. Violation of the respiratory process;
4. Feeling very dizzy, feeling unwell;
5. Red whites of the eyes, dilated pupils;
6. Feeling of fear, panic attacks;

💡 Cell necrosis.

• Spasmodic manifestations in muscle tissue;
• Paralysis;
• Involuntary separation of urine and feces;
• Violation of consciousness;

The fourth stage is death. 5-20 minutes after potassium cyanide enters the body, the victim dies.

With a minimum dosage of a poisonous substance, the first symptoms appear after forty minutes. A small concentration of poison allows the liver to cope with harmful influence.

Chronic intoxication is characterized by the slow development of unpleasant symptoms. Potassium cyanide accumulates in the body gradually, the risk of death increases every day.

If the death of the victim does not occur within four hours, then the body will independently cope with the poison and gradually remove it. Most often, the brain suffers, which provokes a violation of the work of many organs.

Methods and methods of treatment

The negative effect of potassium cyanide is noted after short term Therefore, the injured person needs to be helped as soon as possible.

In first aid kits industrial enterprises, whose work is associated with a similar toxin, an antidote is always present. The introduction of the substance is carried out according to the instructions.

First aid:

1. Call an ambulance;
2. The injured person is placed on flat surface, make sure that he is conscious, talk to him;
3. In the absence of signs of life, resuscitation is carried out;
4. If possible, a person is placed on his side to avoid choking with vomit;
5. Do a gastric lavage, it is permissible to use for a similar purpose weak solution potassium permanganate;
6. After cleansing, any sorbent is given, this will help to remove potassium cyanide in a short time;
7. The victim is given a drink strong tea with sugar, the drink will help bind the poison;

After providing first aid, the patient is transferred to the doctors. With any degree of overdose, treatment is carried out in medical institution. Antidotes are administered first - amyl nitrite, sodium nitrite, methylene blue.

All dosages are calculated by the doctor depending on the patient's condition. Another, she is able to weaken the effect of a poisonous substance on a person by reacting with it. Treatment is carried out until the full restoration of all functions in the body.

Prevention

Cyanide poisoning often occurs in industrial settings. People whose work is related to potassium cyanide are advised to follow preventive rules.

Measures:

• With an increase in the concentration of a toxic product in the air, the room is immediately left.
• Protective equipment and suits are used during work.
• Any action with potassium cyanide is carried out in glasses to avoid irritation of the mucous membrane and the penetration of poison through it.
• First aid kits should always have an antidote.
• It is recommended to explain to all workers how first aid is provided.

Any interaction with potassium cyanide requires care and caution. Poisoning develops rapidly, in the absence of medical care, a fatal outcome is possible. At home, work with the substance or try to get it is prohibited.

The blogger drank a solution with cyanide - video

Everyone knows about such a poison as potassium cyanide, but mainly from detective and historical novels. However, this chemical is found in many modern household products, such as jewelry cleaners, some watercolors, and gouache. Therefore, accidental poisoning is quite possible. What happens to a person whose body has got potassium cyanide?

What is cyanide

Externally, this substance pure form looks like White powder, or granulated sugar, and it does not have a pronounced almond smell, as they write about it in novels. The basis of the poison is hydrocyanic acid and potassium hydroxide that reacts with it. The resulting substance has a simple chemical composition and therefore, when interacting with various liquids, it quickly decomposes. For example, one of the potassium cyanide neutralizers is simple glucose. Historians claim that it was thanks to her that the seer and healer Grigory Rasputin did not die when he tasted a sweet berry pie stuffed with cyanide, with which they tried to poison him.

How poison works

Biochemists note that a toxic chemical compound, entering the body, cellular level enters into chain reaction with blood. As a result, the work of the cellular enzyme cytochrome oxidase, which is responsible for the uptake of oxygen by tissue cells, is blocked. That is, there is oxygen in the blood, it circulates in the form associated with hemoglobin, but is not absorbed at all. Without access to oxygen, all metabolic intracellular processes stop and the body dies. In fact, a person poisoned by potassium cyanide dies, as if from lack of air. At the same time, his face will have a blush, his skin will have a light pink tint, and even venous blood, due to the fact that it, like arterial blood, will become saturated with oxygen, will turn out to be not burgundy in color, but scarlet.

A quick death

However, the lethal outcome of cyanide poisoning depends on the individual's sensitivity to the poison and the dose received. Definitely fatal is, approximately, one gram of potassium cyanide, taken at once, for example, by a man of average build. Within one minute it a large number of chemical will drive him to the grave. During this time, a person will lose consciousness, difficulty breathing and wheezing will appear. If at this moment you pay attention to the face of a dying person, then you can notice a bright blush on his cheeks and at the same time wide-open eyes, in which dilated pupils will be pronounced. The death of a poisoned person occurs from respiratory arrest.

slow dying

A dose of cyanide, approximately one-tenth to two-tenths of a gram, that enters the body of the victim will also lead him to death, but the agony will last from a quarter of an hour and somewhere up to forty minutes. During this time, five minutes after taking the poison, nausea and vomiting will appear, weakness will increase. In about twenty minutes there will be a loss of consciousness and after a while the breath will begin to go astray until it stops completely. If the deceased's mouth is examined, it will be noted that his tongue is strongly bitten.

severe poisoning

Doses of potassium cyanide lighter weight resuscitators no longer consider fatal. Meanwhile, poisoning from five hundredths to eight hundredths of a gram of weight is very severe. About ten minutes after taking a similar amount of cyanide, a person will begin to feel dizzy and coordination of movement will be disturbed. After some time, he will feel a rush of blood to his face, head and chest, there will be fever, fever, dry mouth and severe tremor of the hands. The faster the condition of the victim changes, the more susceptible his body to the poison is. The most severe stage here is the occurrence of small convulsions, but the person remains conscious. Taking an antidote dramatically improves the situation.

Light and medium severity

One to three hundredths of a gram of a substance that has entered the body does not immediately negatively affect health. Only after half an hour can a person notice a sore throat and a desire to cough. A metallic taste on the tongue will be another proof of cyanide poisoning. Perhaps numbness of the oral cavity and at the same time abundant salivation. Breathing will become more frequent, there will be an urge to diarrhea. If in the future the symptoms subside, the victim will come to normal condition and without the help of doctors. In this situation, only their control examination is required. But if the body of the poisoned person is weakened by any diseases or it is susceptible to poison, then after the above symptoms, a serious arrhythmia may occur, the pressure will rise sharply. The person will feel panic fear death and complain of lack of air. The patient will need health care and even the introduction of an antidote.

In household products, a dose of cyanide is usually found in minimum quantity not capable of causing serious harm to health. But in any other cases, potassium cyanide poisoning will lead to least consequences in the event that a person tries to neutralize the poison on his own as soon as possible, because there is sugar in every home.

Lovers of detective stories have heard of such a poison as potassium cyanide. The smell of almonds complicated story, murders - a classic set of well-known bestsellers. However, books are not always a true reflection of reality. In fact, human poisoning with potassium cyanide is now rare and occurs most often in production.

Potassium cyanide is the most famous salt of hydrocyanic acid.

About poison

Hydrocyanic acid

What is potassium cyanide? There is a group of cyanides that are derivatives of hydrocyanic acid. This acid is a colorless liquid with a strong almond odor. In the seeds of some plants (peaches, cherries, apricots, plums) there is a substance called glucoside. At the time of decomposition, the glucoside releases hydrocyanic acid. Therefore, if you eat too many of these berries or fruits, you can get poisoned.

Potassium cyanide is the most famous salt of hydrocyanic acid. Like other cyanides, it is poisonous.

About the features of potassium cyanide

The lethal dose of potassium cyanide for humans is 1.7 mg / kg. But this does not mean that if this dose is ingested, a person will definitely die. Sometimes people survived even after significant doses due to the characteristics of the body. This poison has interesting properties. If a person who has drunk poison has a stomach filled with food that contains a lot of sulfur (meat, eggs, etc.) or carbohydrates (cakes, pastries), then the poison is absorbed slowly.

Therefore, Grigory Rasputin did not die immediately, as soon as poison was added to him. His stomach was full of cakes, which prevented the poison from being absorbed. What does he look like? It is a white crystalline powder similar to granulated sugar. Its peculiarity is the strong smell of almonds.

In the bones of some plants (almonds, apricots, peaches, cherries, plums, bird cherry, laurel cherries) there is a substance called glucoside

The use of potassium cyanide

This poison is isolated from some plants or produced synthetically. The scope of its use is diverse, so the small risk of poisoning is ignored. The use of poison is possible both in industry and in agriculture.

• Application in the manufacture of plastics and other products.
• The poison is contained in the reagents that are needed to develop the photo.
• Salts with cyanide have found application when working with minerals.
• Poison in the form of gases is necessary for the treatment of grain stores, and getting rid of rodents.
• There was also a not entirely humane use of this poison during the war. The Nazis produced Cyclone-B gas.

poisoning

How does the poison affect the human body, what symptoms do the patient have? If hydrocyanic acid compounds enter it, then the cytochrome oxidase enzyme is blocked. This leads to the fact that the body does not absorb oxygen, which causes a person to die from asphyxia.

How long does the poison last?

How quickly does the poison act, and the person dies after poisoning? Does this poison have an antidote? Properties, the effect of poison on the human body depends on its concentration:

• 0.1 mg/l - death within an hour;
• 0.12 - 0.15 mg / l - death within half an hour;
• 0.2 mg/l - death in 10 minutes.

Symptoms of poisoning make themselves felt after a couple of seconds if the cyanide got through the lungs: the victim inhaled the vapors. If it got through the stomach, then the symptoms appear after a few minutes. When high doses of potassium cyanide enter the human body, the effect of the poison is instantaneous: the person immediately loses consciousness, paralyzes him respiratory system, refuses to work the heart. The poison also penetrates the skin. Then death occurs in 40-90 minutes.

At the first stage of poisoning, a feeling that squeezed chest

Symptoms of poisoning

If a relatively small dose potassium cyanide, death does not occur immediately, the victim can still be saved. Symptoms of poisoning are as follows. The action of the poison is divided into four stages.

• The first stage, symptoms: itching in the throat, a feeling of bitterness in the mouth, a taste of metal, the mouth becomes numb, saliva flows, nausea, even vomits, dizziness, a feeling that the chest is squeezed, the person’s breathing is frequent. If the victim goes outside, he will feel better.
• The second stage, symptoms: the person is lethargic, the chest compresses more and more, shortness of breath, the eyes protrude, the pupils dilate, the person experiences a feeling of fear.
• The third stage, symptoms: convulsions, a person bites the tongue, involuntary emptying of the intestines and bladder, fainting.
• The fourth stage, symptoms: all reflexes and sensitivity are lost, breathing is rare, gets confused, then stops.

Symptoms of chronic poisoning

Poisoning does not always develop quickly. If a person works with cyanide compounds, then he may have chronic poisoning. What are the symptoms of poison exposure?

• often headache and dizziness;
• insomnia;
• memory worsens;
• heart hurts;
• a person is losing weight;
• frequent urination;
• sweat profusely.

These are not all the symptoms, there are many of them: both a neurasthenic symptom and diseases thyroid gland, and peeling of the skin, itching, etc.

Sign of poisoning: slight smell of almonds

How to help the victim

First aid

If you find and help a person in time, introduce an antidote, he can be saved. How to understand that the victim took exactly potassium cyanide? He has a slight smell of almonds from his mouth. For an experienced physician, the symptoms of poisoning will also suggest poison. The hospital will take a blood test and determine the amount of cyanide in the blood, so the smell is not the only way suspect poisoning. What to do? Need to call to ambulance and report your suspicions.

• Take the person outside.
• Rid the patient of clothing if it is saturated with poison. It is better to cut and remove so that the poisoning does not increase. Wipe victim's body with soap and water.
• If the poison has entered the human body with food, drink, it is necessary to wash the stomach: give a lot of drink and induce vomiting.

If he stopped breathing, you can only do chest compressions. Artificial respiration is undesirable, otherwise the one who provides assistance will be poisoned.

There is an antidote for potassium cyanide

Treatment

If a person is poisoned, the properties of the poison are such that urgent medical attention is needed.. The doctor will immediately try to alleviate the patient's condition, make it easier for him to breathe, using a tube in the larynx, etc. But the main help is an antidote. The antidote must be injected into a vein, you can take it orally. There is an antidote against potassium cyanide, and more than one. They are divided into three groups.

• The first antidote is sugar: a physician injects glucose into a vein. It converts cyanide into harmless compounds.
• The second known antidote is sodium thiosulfate. As soon as it enters the body, the poison is converted into thiocyanates, which are safe for humans.
• The third antidote is drugs (nitroglycerin, amyl nitrite, methylene blue) that act with poison and form cyanmethemoglobin.

If the victim managed to enter the antidote immediately after the poison entered the body (the first minutes), he was saved. An hour later, the treatment is repeated. After severe poisoning, the victim will not immediately return to normal. Within 2-3 weeks, he has changes in the neuropsychic sphere, and for a whole month his pressure will jump, tachycardia and pain in the heart are possible.

Prevention of poisoning

You can’t buy potassium cyanide in a pharmacy, even with a prescription. It is made only in special laboratories. Therefore, poisoning occurs at work. The only prevention is the observance of security measures. The company must ensure that employees know the safety measures and comply with them.

If the concentration of hydrocyanic acid exceeds the norm, an alarm is triggered. Another important point is the preparation of employees for non-standard situations. They must respond quickly in case of poisoning and provide the victim with the necessary medical assistance.

Potassium cyanide is a chemical compound that has found application in medicine, used in various industries industry, chemical formula KCN. For centuries, the substance has become a means to eliminate ill-wishers. Modern diagnostic methods completely exclude such a possibility of poisoning due to the rapid detection of poison in human tissues and organs. An effective antidote has also been synthesized to provide emergency assistance with accidental intoxication. It will not be possible to buy the drug in a pharmacy - pharmacists and pharmacists have long ceased to use it in tinctures and ointments and purchase it ready-made.

Physicochemical characteristics

Many people learned what potassium cyanide is only after reading action-packed detective stories or watching historical series. For scientists, this is a compound obtained during a chemical reaction between hydrocyanic acid and easily soluble potassium salts. After dilution of cyanide in water, a clear, odorless solution is formed.

The widespread belief that hydrocyanic acid smells like almonds is just a myth. The fallacy of judgment is based on the presence of poison in the bones of fruit trees. If the poison is obtained in this way, then it will take great amount vegetable raw materials, so that it is possible to smell potassium cyanide.

Outwardly, potassium cyanide resembles ordinary granulated sugar, looks like a fine crystalline powder. With an increase in the moisture content in the surrounding space, the substance loses its stability and decomposes into neutral ingredients. But poisonous vapors can accumulate in the air, which will cause poisoning of a person. Hydrocyanic acid belongs to weak compounds, therefore, it is easily replaced in dilution by salts formed by stronger and more stable acids.

Potassium hydroxide is an inorganic compound of hydrocyanic acid with a simple chemical composition. It quickly decomposes in liquids into cations and anions, and no conditions are required to enter into reactions. When the poison is diluted in glucose solutions, its instantaneous oxidation occurs. Therefore, during detoxification therapy, glucose can be used as an antidote that neutralizes the effect of the poison.

Currently, poisoning with a toxic compound is extremely rare. Usually the causes of intoxication are:

• improper storage of the substance at home;
• occurrence emergencies in industrial productions. Despite the presence of modern treatment facilities, toxic fumes quickly spread indoors, penetrate into the human body.

The use of potassium cyanide at certain stages technological processes as an ingredient or catalyst does not exclude the possibility of vapor or gas poisoning. The poison enters the respiratory tract, and then into the bloodstream. After a short time, a sufficient concentration accumulates in it. chemical for a lethal outcome.

Intoxication can develop after the poison gets on the skin and mucous membranes.. In the presence of microcracks, open wounds or scratches, the poison enters the bloodstream, and develops at the site of its penetration. inflammatory process: redness and rashes appear. Potassium cyanide is able to bind to erythrocytes, reduce their functional activity in delivering molecular oxygen to tissues.

Toxic effect on the human body

Significant concentrations of KCN intoxication result in the death of a person as a result of respiratory arrest.. going on chemical interaction between the compound and cytochrome oxidase, one of the cellular enzymes. It turns out that ferric iron is bound, which makes the transfer of electrons impossible. Violation of their transportation leads to the cessation of the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate. This is organic matter is a universal energy accumulator in biological systems.

Arises paradoxical situation- a deficiency of molecular oxygen is formed in organs and tissues, and its excessive concentration is found in the bloodstream, but it is very strongly associated with red blood cells. Therefore, at the autopsy of people who died from this poison, you can immediately determine the cause of death: the color of the blood in all veins becomes bright red as a result of an increase in hemoglobin.

Neutralization of red blood cells leads to oxygen starvation of tissues, a decrease in the functional activity of all vital systems. There is a slowdown in the metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and they begin to accumulate in the body. The absence of molecular oxygen has a particularly negative effect on brain cells - neurons. The process of transmission of impulses to the central and vegetative nervous system. The lack of innervation provokes the following action of KCN on a person:

• respiratory failure;
• disorder of the cardiovascular system;
• violation of blood filtration and excretion of urine from the body.

The poison is carried by the blood stream to the liver cells, damaging them, which leads to a distortion of metabolic processes..

The lethal dose for humans of the toxic compound is 1.6 mg/kg. But it may vary depending on:

• health conditions;
• gender;
• the age of the victim;
• routes of entry of a toxic compound into the body.

The poisonous properties of this salt of hydrocyanic acid made it possible to classify it as a potent poison. Potassium cyanide is subject to quantitative accounting in industrial production for the prevention of severe intoxication.

To prevent poisoning measures include strict control of compliance with safety regulations when working with highly toxic substances. But the ability of the poison to quickly undergo hydrolysis and evaporate into the surrounding space sometimes leads to the penetration of a small amount of a chemical compound into the body. Toxicologists advise employees to carry compressed sugar with them at all times. Its use slows down the absorption of potassium cyanide into the bloodstream.

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Signs of poisoning will appear more quickly if there is no food in the person's stomach. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are able to partially bind the toxic compound and prevent its absorption by the gastric mucosa.

A small amount of potassium cyanide can always be found in cells and tissues. Chemical compound takes part in biological metabolism active substances, water- and fat-soluble vitamins, enzymes. The body of a smoker contains a lot of salts of hydrocyanic acid, which penetrate into the blood from tobacco.

Useful properties of a chemical compound

Potassium cyanide is not stable. The cyano group is quickly displaced by salts that are formed by stronger acids, as a result of which the compound loses its toxic properties. This quality is widely used at certain stages of technological processes in various industries.

What is potassium cyanide - a compound used as an ingredient, as well as a catalyst that accelerates speed chemical reactions. At mining and processing plants and in galvanic production, it is used to oxidize precious metals(gold, platinum). The toxic substance is part of the reagents for developing photographic film and cleaning plaque from the surface of jewelry. Entomologists use KCN to kill butterflies and dragonflies. People who are fond of painting encounter hydrocyanic acid when diluting paints for drawing:

• "milori";
• "Prussian blue";
• "Prussian blue"

These types of gouache and watercolor paint the canvas in a bright blue color. The term "hydrocyanic" characterizes the ability of acid to give objects blue and intense blue colors in the presence of iron cations.

Acute and chronic poison intoxication can be diagnosed in people not involved in the production of precious metals. About ten years ago, at the mining and processing plants of the countries of Eastern Europe there were emissions of toxic waste into the Danube. Local population used water for domestic and household needs, people ate fish caught in a reservoir. A few months later, the number of patients with symptoms of chronic intoxication increased significantly.

In concentrated form, potassium cyanide is not found in nature. But the bones of fruit trees of the Rosaceae family contain a small amount of amygdalin, a substance that includes a cyano group. Most of the poison is in the nuclei:

• apricots;
• peaches
• almonds;
• cherries;
• drain.

Young leaves and shoots of elderberry contain a lot of potassium cyanide, which can cause poisoning in pets. Amygdalin in the human body is hydrolyzed to hydrocyanic acid, which has similar properties to its salts. Death from KCN occurs when eating 90-110 g of apricot kernels. Most toxic fresh product, since in the process of heat treatment or drying, amygdalin loses its toxic properties.

Potassium cyanide is an ingredient in some insecticides. In agriculture, it is used to kill rodents that enter grain storage. There is a high probability of poisoning if safety rules are not followed when working with poisons, as well as their improper storage in places where it is easy to get containers with powder.

Clinic of intoxication

To conduct adequate detoxification therapy, doctors need to find out what concentration of poison circulates in the body of the victim. Characteristic features drug poisoning occurs when any amount of poison enters the blood but their expression will vary. In addition to the dose of a toxic compound, the symptoms are directly dependent on the age of the person and the presence of a history of diseases. The tactics of treating hydrocyanic acid poisoning differ at certain stages of the pathological process.

Mild degree of poisoning

No treatment is required at this stage of intoxication. A small amount of poison has penetrated into the body of the victim, which is not able to affect health. The person should be taken out of the room to fresh air and all symptoms of poisoning will quickly disappear. These include:

• dry throat, desire to cough;
• metallic taste in the mouth, numbness of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract;
• disorder of the digestive tract: nausea, sour eructation, urge to defecate;
• feeling of lack of air, slight dizziness;
• excessive secretion of saliva;
• palpitations, arterial hypertension.

These same symptoms can occur with chronic poisoning. The lack of treatment is explained by the fact that a person, as a rule, does not attach importance to negative signs intoxication, attributing them to fatigue or temporary malaise.

Average degree of poisoning

With an increase in the concentration of KCN in the bloodstream, signs of malfunction develop central system . The situation is complicated by the fact that the victim often cannot realize the seriousness of what is happening due to the appearance emotional instability. This stage of poisoning is characterized by the following symptoms:

• increased anxiety or anxiety, abruptly replaced by lethargy, apathy, drowsiness;
• violation of coordination in space, unsteadiness of gait, dizziness;
• feverish state, cold perspiration, chills;
• respiratory disorders, shortness of breath;
• flushing of the face and upper body;
• dryness of all mucous membranes;
• trembling of hands and feet.

A characteristic feature of the symptoms at this stage of intoxication is a strong bulge of the eyes. Together with redness of the mucous membranes, the symptom is one of the main diagnostic features poisoning with this poison.

Emotional instability is expressed in the appearance of a strong fright in a person. He wants to run somewhere, to take any action, most often absolutely meaningless. In this state, the victim can harm himself and those around him.

Severe degree of poisoning

At this stage of intoxication, a person needs urgent hospitalization and detoxification therapy, including the use of an antidote. The severity of symptoms increases, provoking a decrease in the functional activity of all vital systems. What signs of intoxication occur at this stage:

• tremor of the upper and lower extremities;
• loss of consciousness;
• decrease in tactile, muscle, tendon reflexes;
• disruption of work gastrointestinal tract: vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, a feeling of fullness in the epigastric region;
• thready pulse, arterial hypotension;
• temperature increase.

This degree of poisoning with this drug is characterized by a urinary disorder.. The filtration of blood by the kidneys is disturbed - toxic compounds and metabolic products of substances remain in the body. When emptying the bladder, a small amount of cloudy urine is excreted. The victim may involuntarily empty the intestines due to a decrease in the tone of his smooth muscle muscles.

Paralytic stage of intoxication

After penetration into the body of a lethal dose of poison, there is little time left to neutralize the effect of the poison, to introduce an antidote to the victim. This stage of poisoning often ends with the death of a person, if detoxification therapy and resuscitation have not been carried out within 10-20 minutes. At this stage, the victim experiences the following symptoms:

• shallow breathing;
• convulsions;
• lack of pupillary response to light;
• lack of urination;
• low blood pressure.

Poisoning with salts of hydrocyanic acid is characterized by the appearance of a bright blush and redness of the mucous membranes. Oxygen starvation of brain cells develops. He is not able to carry out the full regulation of vital systems. The result is pulmonary edema and cardiac arrest. A lethal outcome is stated most often when KCN penetrates into the stomach and when toxic fumes are inhaled.

First aid for poisoning

The toxic effect of potassium cyanide on the human body manifests itself rapidly, so you should immediately call an ambulance team, tell the doctor the cause of intoxication.

As a rule, in all industrial productions using hydrocyanic acid compounds, there are ampoules with antidote in the first-aid kit. The antidote is administered parenterally in accordance with the attached instructions.

While waiting for the doctor, it is necessary to provide the victim with first aid:

• put a person to bed, talk with him so that he is conscious;
• in case of cardiac arrest, perform an indirect heart massage and artificial respiration;
• turn the victim on his side, as he can choke on vomit;
• wash the stomach with a pink solution of potassium permanganate until a clear liquid is discharged;
• give any adsorbent or enterosorbent;
• give a person a strong and very sweet tea to drink to bind the poison.

The victim will be urgently hospitalized for detoxification treatment with glucose solutions and mineral salts. Potassium cyanide poisoning will require a long rehabilitation period. If a large amount of a toxic compound has entered the body, then there may be dangerous consequences: violation of urination, damage to liver cells, exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Of all the poisons, potassium cyanide has the most notoriety. In detective novels, the use of this cyanide by intruders is a very popular way to get rid of unwanted faces. Obviously, wide popularity poison is also associated with its availability at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, when the powder could easily be bought at a pharmacy.

Meanwhile, potassium cyanide is not the most dangerous and poisonous substance - in terms of a lethal dose, it is inferior to such prosaic poisons as nicotine or botulinum toxin. So what is potassium cyanide, where is it used and how does it affect the human body? Does his fame match real situation of things?

What is potassium cyanide

The poison belongs to the group of cyanide derivatives. The formula for potassium cyanide is KCN. The substance was first received German chemist Robert Wilhelm Bunsen in 1845, he also designed industrial way its synthesis.

By appearance potassium cyanide is a colorless crystalline powder, highly soluble in water. Reference books describe that potassium cyanide has a specific smell of bitter almonds. But this characteristic of him is not always true - about 50% of people are able to feel such a smell. It is believed that this is due to individual differences in the olfactory apparatus. Potassium cyanide is not a very stable compound. Since hydrocyanic acid is weak, the cyano group is easily displaced from the compound by salts of more strong acids. As a result, the cyano group volatilizes, and the substance loses its toxic properties. Also, cyanides are oxidized when exposed to moist air or in solutions with glucose. The latter property allows the use of glucose as one of the antidotes for and its derivatives.

Why does a person need potassium cyanide? It is used in the mining and processing industry and in electroplating industries. Since noble metals are not able to be directly oxidized by oxygen, solutions of potassium or sodium cyanide are used to catalyze the process. Chronic potassium cyanide poisoning can be obtained by people who are not related to production. So, in the early 2000s, there were cases of toxic emissions from mining and processing enterprises in Romania and Hungary into the Danube River, as a result of which people living in the vicinity of the floodplain suffered. Workers of special laboratories who come into contact with poison as a reagent are at risk of getting a chronic disease.

AT living conditions cyanides can be found in reagents for darkrooms, in jewelry cleaners. Small amounts of potassium cyanide are used by entomologists in insect stains. There are also artistic paints (gouache, watercolor), which include cyanides - "Prussian blue", "Prussian blue", "Milori". There they are in combination with iron and give the dye a rich azure color.

What is potassium cyanide found in nature? You will not find it in its pure form, but the compound with the cyano group - amygdalin, is found in the seeds of apricots, plums, cherries, almonds, peaches; leaves and shoots of elderberry. When splitting amygdalin, hydrocyanic acid is formed, which acts similarly to potassium cyanide. Fatal poisoning can be obtained from 1 gram of amygdalin, which corresponds to about 100 grams of apricot kernels.

The effect of potassium cyanide on humans

How does potassium cyanide affect the human body? The poison blocks the cellular enzyme - cytochrome oxidase, which is responsible for the uptake of oxygen by the cell. As a result, oxygen remains in the blood and circulates there bound to hemoglobin. Therefore, in case of cyanide poisoning, even venous blood has a bright scarlet color. Without access to oxygen metabolic processes inside the cells stop and the organism quickly dies. The effect is tantamount to as if the poisoned person simply suffocated due to lack of air.

Potassium cyanide is poisonous if ingested, by inhalation of powder and solution vapors; can also penetrate the skin, especially if it is damaged. The lethal dose of potassium cyanide for humans is 1.7 mg/kg of body weight. The drug belongs to the group of potent toxic substances, its use is controlled with all possible strictness.

The action of cyanides weakens in combination with glucose. Laboratory workers who are forced to come into contact with this poison while working hold a piece of sugar behind their cheek. This allows you to neutralize microscopic doses of toxin that accidentally enter the bloodstream. Also, the poison is absorbed more slowly on a full stomach, which allows the body to reduce it. harmful effect by oxidation with glucose and some other blood compounds. A small amount of cyanide ions, about 140 micrograms per liter of plasma, circulate in the blood as a natural metabolic metabolite. For example, they are part of vitamin B12 - cyanocobalamin. And in the blood of smokers they contain twice as much.

Symptoms of potassium cyanide poisoning

What are the symptoms of cyanide poisoning? The action of the poison manifests itself very quickly - when inhaled almost instantly, when it enters the stomach - after a few minutes. Cyanides are slowly absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes. Signs of potassium cyanide poisoning depend on the dose received and individual sensitivity to the poison.

At acute poisoning disturbances develop in four stages.

prodromal stage:

• sore throat, sensation of scratching;
• bitterness in the mouth, the notorious taste of “bitter almonds” is possible;
• numbness of the oral mucosa, pharynx;
• salivation;
• nausea and vomiting;
• dizziness;
• feeling of constriction in the chest.

The second stage is dyspnoetic, with it the signs of oxygen starvation increase:

• pressure in the chest increases;
• pulse slows down, weakens;
• general weakness increases;
• dyspnea;
• the pupils are dilated, the conjunctiva of the eyes turns red, the eyeballs protrude;
• there is a feeling of fear, turning into a stunned state.

Upon receipt of a lethal dose, the third stage begins - convulsive:

The fourth stage is paralytic, leading to death from potassium cyanide:

• the victim is unconscious;
• breathing is greatly slowed down;
• mucous membranes turn red, a blush appears;
• loss of sensation and reflexes.

Death occurs in 20-40 minutes (when the poison gets inside) from respiratory and cardiac arrest. If the victims do not die within four hours they usually survive. Possible consequences - residual violation brain activity due to oxygen starvation.

In chronic cyanide poisoning, the symptoms are largely due to intoxication with thiocyanates (rhodanides) - substances of the second hazard class, into which cyanides pass in the body under the influence of sulfide groups. Thiocyanates cause pathology of the thyroid gland, have a harmful effect on the liver, kidneys and provoke the development of gastritis.

First aid for poisoning

The victim needs the prompt introduction of potassium cyanide antidotes, of which there are several. Before the introduction of a specific antidote, it is necessary to alleviate the patient's condition - remove the poison from the stomach by washing:

Then give a sweet warm drink.

If the victim is unconscious, then only medical worker. In case of respiratory arrest, artificial ventilation of the lungs is carried out.

If there is a possibility of potassium cyanide getting on clothes, it is necessary to remove it and wash the patient's skin with water.

Treatment

Take measures to maintain life - insert a breathing tube and intravenous catheter. Potassium cyanide is a poison for which there are several antidotes. All of them are used, since they have a different mechanism of action. The antidote is effective even in the last stages of poisoning.

At the same time, they are guided by the fact that the level of methemoglobin in the blood does not exceed 25-30%.

1. Solutions of substances that easily release sulfur neutralize cyanides in the blood. Apply 25% sodium thiosulfate solution.
2. Glucose solution 5 or 40%.

To excite the respiratory center, drugs "Lobelin" or "Cititon" are administered.

Summing up, we can say the following. Toxic action potassium cyanide per person is to block the mechanism cellular respiration resulting in death from asphyxiation and paralysis very quickly. Antidote drugs - amyl nitrite, sodium thiosulfate, glucose can help. They are administered intravenously or by inhalation. To prevent chronic poisoning in the workplace, it is necessary to follow general safety precautions: avoid direct contact with poison, use protective equipment, regularly conduct medical examinations.