Submission of specimens in suspected cases of poisoning

SUBMISSION OF SPECIMENT IN SUSPECTED CASES OF POISONING

Suspected poison

Material required in order of importance

Antimony

Liver, thyroid, kidney, urine, milk, stomach and gut content

Arsenic (acute)

Liver, kidneys, stomach and gut contents, urine, feed

Arsenic (chronic)

Hair, liver, urine, spleen, altered organs

Alkaloids

Liver, urine, brain, stomach and gut contents

Ammonia

Whole blood or serum, urine, rumen contents

* Send frozen samples.

* In rumen contents, may add 1-2 drops of saturated HgCl3

Barbiturates

Blood, brain, liver, adipose tissue

Cadmium

Kidney, liver, hair

Copper

Liver, blood, kidney, faeces, urine

Cyanide (HCN)

Stomach and gut contents, liver, muscles, oxalated blood, brain, suspected feed.

* Should be rushed to laboratory in frozen airtight container.

* Liver HCN decreases rapidly, so many times muscle analysis gives good results

Fluorides

Altered parts of bone, teeth, urine, stomach contents, liver, kidney, feed and / or drinking water.

Insecticides (chlorinated)

Fat, liver, stomach contents, brain

* Use only glass containers

Insecticides (organophosphorus)

Oxalated blood, whole blood, liver, stomach and gut contents

Lead (acute)

Kidneys, liver, urine, whole blood

Lead (chronic)

Hair, liver, kidneys, bone, faeces, urine

Mercury

Liver, kidneys, intestinal contents, stomach contents, muscle, brain, faeces

Molybdenum

Feed, liver, kidneys, altered organs (bone), hair

* The feed is examined/analysed for its Mo:Cu contents. Liver contains low amount of coopper

Nitrate and Nitrite

Stomach and gut contents, whole blood, urine, suspected feed

* Should be dispatched soon as both nitrate and nitrite alter rapidly and escape detection

Oxalates

Fresh forage, kidneys

(Do not macerate; freeze, fixed in formalin).

Phenol and cresol

Liver, kidneys, stomach and gut contents

Phosphide

Stomach and gut contents, suspected material (grain, flour etc.)

(Dispatch as soon as possible as phosphide breaks down rapidly and hydrogen phosphide produced may escape)

Phosphorus

Stomach and gut contents, liver, oxalated blood, altered organs (lungs), vomitus, faeces

Rodenticides

Stomach contents, liver, urine

Selenium

Suspected feed, altered organs, whole blood, liver, hair

Sodium chloride

Oxalated and whole blood, brain

Sodium fluoroacetate

Stomach contents, liver

Strychnine

Stomach, gut contents, urine, liver, kidney and brain

Urea

Feed, stomach contents (See ammonia)

Warfarin

Whole blood, liver, feed.

Zinc

Liver, kidney, pancreas, faeces, bone (humerus)

Zinc phosphide

Liver, gastric contents, feed (See phospide)

Last modified: Friday, 20 April 2012, 7:29 AM