Medical Health Encyclopedia

Nail polish poisoning


InjuryDiseasesNutritionPoison
SymptomsSurgeryTestSpecial Topic
Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention
Alternative Names

Organic solvent syndrome; Psychoorganic syndrome; Chronic solvent encephalopathy


Home Treatment

Do NOT make the person throw up. Seek immediate emergency medical care.


Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

  • The patient's age, weight, and condition
  • The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
  • The time it was swallowed
  • The amount swallowed

Poison Control, or a local emergency number

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.




This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

See: Poison control center - emergency number


What to expect at the emergency room

The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated as appropriate. The patient may receive:

  • Breathing support
  • Blood and urine tests
  • Endoscopy -- camera down the throat to see burns in the esophagus and the stomach
  • Fluids through a vein (I.V.)
  • Irrigation (washing of the skin and eyes), perhaps every few hours for several days
  • Medicines to treat symptoms
  • Skin debridement (surgical removal of burned skin)
  • Tube through the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (gastric lavage)

Expectations (prognosis)

How well a patient does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment was received. The faster a patient gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery. Nail polish tends to come in small bottles, so serious poisoning is unlikely if only one bottle was swallowed. However, always seek immediate emergency medical care.

Find a Therapist
PR Newswire