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Clinical Use:
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Thallium salts are used in medications, cosmetics and pesticides; trace amounts are also used in radiological procedures. TL poisoning occurs from ingestion or from absorption through intact skin and mucous membranes; they accumulate in the liver, kidneys, bone and muscle tissue.
A unique symptom of thallium poisoning is alopecia. Other symptoms can include ataxia, choreiform movements, pulmonary oedema, vomiting, abdominal pain, GI bleeding, diarrhoea, delirium and eventually coma. Poisoning results in optic neuropathy, blindness, facial paralysis, paresthesias, peripheral neuropathy, respiratory paralysis and liver and renal damage. |