Foaming at the mouth can be seen with a number of conditions.
Situations where foam can be seen at the mouth:
(1) severe pulmonary edema
(2) freshwater drowning
(3) seizure disorder
(4) swallowing 35% hydrogen peroxide
(5) swallowing another type of foaming agent
(6) gag (placing a foaming agent in the mouth)
(7) penetrating chest injury (with blood entering the tracheobronchial tree)
where:
• Baxendale and O'Toole consider excessive foaming at the mouth during a seizure is a myth but there appear to be enough descriptions to suggest that it can occur.
• Foaming at the mouth in toxic exposures (snake bite, etc) is often due to cardiopulmonary dysfunction with pulmonary edema.
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