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Tal was discovered in 1861. It found application as a medicine against venereal diseases, mycosis, gout, dysentery and tuberculosis. Recently, it has been used in the production of jewelery dyes, in thermometers for measuring low temperatures, as a semiconductor, in scintillation counters and in optical lenses.
Tal is known as a cumulative, murderous poison. The average lethal dose for an adult human is 1 g of soluble thallium salt. It is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, penetrates into the cells, and is rapidly absorbed by the skin, lungs and mucous membranes. Absorption through the skin also takes place when using an ointment containing thallium. It is eliminated slowly in urine (3% of total content) and faeces. It crosses the mother’s placenta and causes alopecia and deformation of the nails of the fetus if exposure has occurred in the last trimester of pregnancy.
Tal is a cellular poison. It behaves like a potassium analog and is distributed intracellularly to all body tissues. The highest concentrations of thallium appear in the kidneys, bones, stomach, small and large intestines, spleen, liver, muscles, lungs, and brain.
Symptoms of poisoning
The onset of the disease is insidious, reaching a state of gradual regression of intoxication symptoms or death after 2 to 3 weeks. 4 characteristic degrees of disease symptoms have been described.
Instant (3-4 hours): Mainly gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Persistent constipation appears after 3 hours.
After a latency period (hours to days):
– central nervous system: confusion, drowsiness, coma, convulsions, psychosis, thirst, insomnia, brain edema with disturbances of the central respiratory center;
– peripheral nervous system: simultaneous motor and sensory disturbances, including excessive trembling of hands and feet; primary sensory changes are preceded by motor weakness;
– the autonomic nervous system: tachycardia, hypertension, fever, drooling, sweating;
– respiratory system and heart – in acute conditions myocardial necrosis with arrhythmias and haemodynamic failure may occur; in such cases, cardio-respiratory disorders such as hypotension and bradycardia dominate the clinical symptoms; there is also inflammation of the optic nerves and paralysis of the eye muscles; blue-gray lines may appear on the skin, in the first days after exposure, dark pigmentation appears around the hair roots;
Late symptoms of poisoning (after 2–4 weeks): the skin becomes dry, scaly, characteristic white stripes appear on the nails. The most characteristic symptom of poisoning is plaque hair loss.
Late, residual symptoms (months): Central and peripheral nervous system symptoms including ataxia, tremors, peroneal paralysis, and memory loss may still persist.
First aid
In the event of poisoning by the oral route, it is necessary to ensure the possible support of breathing and the functions of the circulatory system. Most often, in the first several hours after exposure, the administration of activated charcoal is used. Serial feeding of carbon should be used as it binds thallium ions. Immediately transfer the patient to hospital.
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