Acute intoxication with a selenium compound usually occurs as an industrial accident or as a suicide attempt. Rarely a person may ingest excessive elemental selenium as a dietary supplement, but this usually results in chronic toxicity.
Forms of inorganic selenium:
(1) selenate salt (least toxic)
(2) elemental selenium
(3) selenite salt
(4) selenious acid (most toxic)
Selenious acid is present in gun bluing solutions and many industrial applications.
Symptoms of inhalation of elemental selenium dust:
(1) nasal discharge
(2) loss of smell
(3) cough
(4) epistaxis
Symptoms of selenite salt ingestion:
(1) nausea and vomiting
(2) abdominal pain
(3) tremor
Symptoms of selenious acid ingestion:
(1) toxic cardiomyopathy
(2) severe hypotension progressing to shock
(3) acute respiratory failure
(4) stupor and coma
(5) usually death
Therapy with vitamin C can be helpful in selenite salt ingestion since it reduces the salt to selenate, which is less toxic.
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