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The minerals
Published in Geoffrey P. Webb, Nutrition, 2019
Chronic iron overload can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. This situation is normally prevented because excess iron binds to ferritin within the intestinal cells and any excess is lost in the faeces when these cells are shed but very high intakes can overwhelm this protective mechanism. Single very high doses of iron can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, gastrointestinal bleeding, circulatory collapse and liver necrosis. Iron poisoning resulting from children consuming pharmaceutical preparations of iron is one of the most common causes of accidental poisoning. Alcohol also promotes iron absorption, and consumption of alcoholic drinks containing large amounts of iron can precipitate iron overload and contribute to liver cirrhosis.
Heavy Metals
Published in Dongyou Liu, Handbook of Foodborne Diseases, 2018
Iron poisoning occurs when an extremely high level of iron enters the body and penetrates cells of the heart, liver, and brain. Failing to bind to protein, the circulating unbound iron (or free iron) disrupts oxidative phosphorylation, leading to the formation of harmful free radicals (which attack DNA), and conversion of the ferrous iron to ferric iron (which releases hydrogen ions, thus increasing metabolic acidity). The free iron may also induce lipid peroxidation, causing damage to mitochondria, microsomes, and other cellular organelles [26].
Iron
Published in Judy A. Driskell, Ira Wolinsky, Sports Nutrition, 2005
Iron can be toxic if taken in large amounts such as an overdose of iron supplements. Among young children in the U.S., iron poisoning is a leading cause of death.1 Early symptoms of iron toxicity are diarrhea and vomiting. As more iron accumulates in the body, organ damage occurs, leading to metabolic acidosis, shock, and defects in blood coagulation.3
Iron overdose epidemiology, clinical features and iron concentration-effect relationships: the UK experience 2008–2017
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2018
D. Nicholas Bateman, Victoria Eagling, Euan A. Sandilands, Gill Jackson, Catherine Crawford, Leonard Hawkins, Ted Cheung, Gillian Cooper, Sally M. Bradberry, John P. Thompson, Simon H. L. Thomas, Michael Eddleston
Iron poisoning, either as single agent or as a mixed overdose, commonly involved children <6 years and teenagers, with peak incidence in those aged 2–3 years and 15 years of age; in single-agent ingestions 539 (28.4%) were <6 years (males 54.1%) and 675 (36.7%) were between 13 and 20 years of age (91% females). The great majority (70.1%) of those affected ≥13 years were females (Figure 1, Table 1, Supplementary Table S1). This contrasts with the profile of overall hospital telephone referrals to the NPIS in the period of this study, in which only 16.5% were aged 13–20 years, of which 67.5% were female (p < .0001 for proportions of overall cases aged 13–20 years and % female compared with iron) (Table 1). These data therefore show that iron poisoning is more frequently encountered in young adults than the generality of overdoses.
Iron overdose – Response
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2019
D. Nicholas Bateman, Eagling Victoria, Euan A. Sandilands, Gill Jackson, Sally M. Bradberry, John P. Thompson, Simon H. L. Thomas, Michael Eddleston
The first puzzles us, an allegation of “selection bias”, that would, if true, be a serious issue. This was not a clinical trial but an epidemiological study, and we described clearly how cases were ascertained. We acknowledged that the case distribution and severities were a surprise to us, however, these reflect the pattern of iron poisoning in the UK during the period of study. Very severe cases of iron poisoning were not identified, but this should not be used to attempt to devalue the results we present. We were sadly unable to find any published international comparators, even though NPDS data now suggest iron poisoning mortality is similar to that in the UK [1], indicating severe poisoning is also rare in North America.
Comment on "Iron overdose epidemiology, clinical features and iron concentration–effect relationships: the UK experience 2008–2017";
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2019
Keerat Grewal, Sarah Luckett-Gatopoulos, Madeline Renny, Mary Ann Howland, Mark K. Su
Our first concern arises from the poison control center study population. Intentional ingestions by adolescents and adults comprised less than 40% of the total single agent ingestions reported and the majority of study patients involved unintentional exposures in young children. This selection bias and inclusion of patients most likely to be at low risk of significant iron poisoning, limits the external validity of the authors’ conclusions.