Davis Jonathan E
Department of Emergency Medicine, Georgetown University Hospital and Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20007, USA.
J Emerg Med. 2007 Jan;32(1):63-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2006.08.009.
Serious toxicity can result from exposure to small amounts of methyl salicylate. Methyl salicylate is widely available as a component in many over-the-counter brands of creams, ointments, lotions, liniments and medicated oils intended for topical application to relieve musculoskeletal aches and pains. Among the most potent forms of methyl salicylate is oil of wintergreen (98% methyl salicylate). Other products with varying concentrations of methyl salicylate are ubiquitous throughout many parts of the world, including a number of products marketed as Asian herbal remedies. The toxic potential of all of these formulations is often underestimated by health care providers and the general public. A comprehensive review of the existing medical literature on methyl salicylate poisoning was performed, and data compiled over the past two decades by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) was examined. Methyl salicylate continues to be a relatively common source of pediatric exposures. Persistent reports of life-threatening and fatal toxicity were found. In children less than 6 years of age, a teaspoon (5 mL) or less of oil of wintergreen has been implicated in several well-documented deaths. More needs to be done to educate both health care providers and the general public regarding the dangers of these widely available formulations.
接触少量的水杨酸甲酯可能会导致严重中毒。水杨酸甲酯作为一种成分在许多非处方品牌的乳膏、软膏、洗剂、擦剂和药用油中广泛存在，这些产品旨在局部应用以缓解肌肉骨骼疼痛。水杨酸甲酯最有效的形式之一是冬青油（98%的水杨酸甲酯）。其他含有不同浓度水杨酸甲酯的产品在世界许多地方都很常见，包括一些作为亚洲草药疗法销售的产品。医疗保健人员和普通公众常常低估了所有这些制剂的潜在毒性。对现有的关于水杨酸甲酯中毒的医学文献进行了全面综述，并研究了美国毒物控制中心协会（AAPCC）在过去二十年收集的数据。水杨酸甲酯仍然是儿童接触中毒的一个相对常见的来源。发现了关于危及生命和致命毒性的持续报告。在6岁以下的儿童中，几起有充分记录的死亡事件都与一茶匙（5毫升）或更少的冬青油有关。需要做更多工作来教育医疗保健人员和普通公众了解这些广泛可得制剂的危险性。
