What is the cause of toxic encephalopathy and what are the symptoms?

Toxic encephalopathy causes great harm to human health, so understanding the causes of toxic encephalopathy and preventing it has become people's top priority. So what are the causes of toxic encephalopathy in daily life? Let’s take a closer look at it below!

Causes

Acute bacterial infection is the main cause of the disease, such as sepsis, pneumonia, dysentery, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria, pyelonephritis, etc., followed by acute respiratory infections caused by influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, syncytial virus, adenovirus and malaria can also cause the disease.

Toxemia, metabolic disorders and hypoxia are also major pathogenesis.

There are two main types of industrial poisons that can cause acute toxic encephalopathy.

Neurotropic poison

1. Metals, metalloids and their compounds

Such as lead, manganese, mercury, thallium, arsenic, tetraethyl lead, carbonyl nickel, trialkyltin, etc. Metals damage the function and structure of nerve cells by inhibiting enzymes, interfering with trace elements, affecting the water and electrolyte balance of cells, energy metabolism, and disrupting central nervous system mediators.

2. Solvent

Such as benzene, toluene, xylene, gasoline, styrene, carbon disulfide, ethylene dichloride, trichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, methanol, chloroethanol, butyl acetate, ethylene oxide, etc. Organic solvents can dissolve in lipids in the central nervous system, changing the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and nerve cells and damaging nerve cells.

3. Halogenated hydrocarbons

Such as methyl bromide, methyl chloride, etc.

4. Pesticides

For example, organophosphorus pesticides, organochlorine pesticides, and organofluorine pesticides are all strong neurotropic poisons.

Asphyxiating poison

Causes brain tissue hypoxia. Such as carbon monoxide, cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, benzene amino, nitro compounds, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, etc., which cause brain tissue hypoxia and can cause severe cerebral edema through reactive cerebrovascular changes and cell membrane sodium and potassium pump disorders. The above poisons can cause various pathological changes in the central nervous system through direct damage and hemodynamic disorders.

Symptoms

Acute onset

It often occurs at the peak stage of serious infections such as toxic dysentery, sepsis, and severe pneumonia.

Sudden encephalitis symptoms

On the basis of the primary disease, encephalitis-like manifestations suddenly appear, such as drowsiness, delirium, coma, convulsions, central paralysis, decerebrate rigidity, pyramidal tract signs, etc., and fundus examination may show papilledema. Brain symptoms may subside within 1 to 3 days without leaving any sequelae. However, in severe cases or when not properly treated, they may rapidly worsen, often with sequelae of neurological damage.