Dry cell battery poisoning

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Batteries - dry cell

Symptoms depend on what type of battery is swallowed.

Symptoms of acidic dry cell battery poisoning include:

• Decreased mental ability
• Irritation or burns in the mouth
• Muscle cramps
• Slurred speech
• Swelling of the lower legs , ankles, or feet
• Weakness
• Spastic walk
• Spasticity
• Tremor

Symptoms that can result from breathing in large amounts of the acidic battery, or contents, dust, and smoke from burning batteries include:

• Decreased mental ability
• Difficulty sleeping
• Muscle cramps
• Slurred speech
• Weakness in the legs
• Bronchitis
• Headache
• Pneumonia
• Itching skin
• Numbness of the fingers or toes
• Spastic walk

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Symptoms of alkaline battery poisoning may include:

• Severe pain in the mouth
• Collapse
• Inability to breathe due to the throat swelling shut
• Severe pain in the throat
• Severe abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Drooling
• Rapid drop in blood pressure

Review Date: 02/15/2009
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).