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Patient handout

Organophosphate and carbamate poisoning

PRODUCTION

1. Your condition

This handout is for organophosphate and carbamate poisoning. Your care team identified this based on: cholinergic toxidrome — diaphoresis, miosis, salivation, bronchorrhea, vomiting, diarrhea, fasciculations (who/ipcs; eddleston lancet 2008).

Other reasons your team may use this plan: known or suspected organophosphate/carbamate pesticide ingestion, dermal exposure, or nerve-agent attack (who/ipcs); unexplained copious secretions + bronchospasm + bradycardia + pinpoint pupils + ams cluster (eddleston lancet 2008); coma / seizure with hypersecretion and respiratory distress of unknown cause (critical-care tox review).

2. Your medications

Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.

MedicationStarting doseHowWhenWhat it does
skin and clothing decontamination + RPE/PPERemove ALL clothing (double-bag), copious soap-and-water / water irrigation of skin, eye irrigation if ocular; staff in chemical-resistant gloves/gown + respiratory protectiontopical/physicalonce, repeat irrigation until decontaminatedSecondary contamination of rescuers/ED staff is a real hazard — lipophilic OPs penetrate skin and off-gas; decontaminate at the door, never in a closed treatment bay (WHO/IPCS; Eddleston Lancet 2008)

Plan: Cholinergic crisis — decontaminate → atropinize → oxime → control seizures → airway/ventilate (incl. intermediate syndrome)

4. When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:

  • Bronchorrhea + bronchospasm with hypoxemia / impending respiratory failure (the primary muscarinic killer) (Eddleston Lancet 2008)(life-threatening)
  • Seizure or coma from CNS cholinergic toxicity (Eddleston Lancet 2008)(life-threatening)
  • New proximal limb / neck-flexor / respiratory / cranial-nerve weakness 24–96 h after exposure (intermediate syndrome) (critical-care tox review)(life-threatening)
  • Muscarinic bradycardia / AV block with hypotension refractory to volume (Eddleston Lancet 2008)
  • Persistent secretions / wet chest / hypoxemia despite initial atropine (under-atropinized) (Eddleston Lancet 2008)
  • Dermal/clothing contamination with a lipophilic agent — risk to rescuers/ED staff (Eddleston Lancet 2008)

5. Follow-up

Watch for OPIDN delayed neuropathy (1–3 wk) and chronic neuropsychiatric sequelae; psychiatry referral if intentional self-poisoning; occupational/agricultural exposure source remediation + PPE education; outpatient neuro follow-up (WHO/IPCS; critical-care tox review)

6. Sources

Guideline: WHO/IPCS organophosphate management; 2024-2025 critical-care tox reviews; Eddleston Lancet OP poisoning

  1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18242601
  2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17961051
  3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15555635