UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Toxicology

Title: Diagnosing Salicylate Toxicity

Keywords: Salicylate, aspirin, ferric chloride (PubMed Search)

Posted: 7/14/2007 by Fermin Barrueto (Emailed: 7/8/2007) (Updated: 11/2/2024)
Click here to contact Fermin Barrueto

Diagnosing Salicylate Toxicity - Acute ingestion can initiially present with nausea, vomiting and a respiratory alkalosis - Toxicity defined by an anion gap metabolic acidosis with ketosis and normal glucose - Ferric chloride test (can get from chemistry set): couple of drops into urine, if it changes color to deep purple sensitive positive for presence of salicylate (sensitive but not specific)