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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In this Article

• Arsenic facts
• What is arsenic?
• What is inorganic arsenic?
• What is organic arsenic?
• What are the symptoms of arsenic poisoning?
• How is arsenic poisoning diagnosed?
• How is arsenic poisoning treated?
• What is the prognosis (outcome) of arsenic poisoning?
• What foods, products, or liquids (water) is arsenic found and where is it used?
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Arsenic Poisoning Index

People may be exposed through work in a metal foundry, mining, glass production, the semiconductor industry, in criminal attempts at murder by poisoning, suicide attempts, and as a biological warfare agent.

• Arsenic has been found to contaminate such common items as wine, glues, and pigments.
• Arsenic is commonly found in many foods both in its relatively nontoxic organic form, and also in the more toxic inorganic form. Consequently, such foods need to be tested for both inorganic and organic arsenic levels.
• Such arsenic has been reported in milk and dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, and cereal.
• Arsenic is also often found in rice, representing a potentially serious source of exposure in certain at-risk populations (especially children).
• Many water sources in the world have high levels of arsenic in them, both due to normal arsenic leaching out of the ground and from human–caused mining and industrial waste.

REFERENCES:

American Cancer Society. Arsenic.

CDC.gov. Arsenic (Inorganic)

MedscapeReference.com. Arsenic Toxicity in Emergency Medicine.

MedscapeReference.com. Neurological Manifestations of Arsenic Intoxication Clinical Presentation.

Medterms.com. Arsenic.