CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" id="article" class="nojs us" data-root="//medlineplus.gov" itemid="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002498.htm" itemtype="http://schema.org/MedicalWebPage" itemscope=""> <head> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1"/> <meta http-equiv="window-target" content="_top"/> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/> <meta charset="utf-8"/> <meta property="fb:app_id" content="1042245625821448"/> <meta name="expires" content="Sun, 17 11 2024"/> <meta name="ac-dictionary" content="medlineplus-ac-dictionary"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://medlineplus.gov/images/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"/> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="//medlineplus.gov/images/touch-icon.png"/> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/common_new.css?04272023"/>  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/css/uswds_styles.css"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://medlineplus.gov/css/ency/ency2.css?07162024"/> <script type="text/javascript">document.querySelector("html").className = document.querySelector("html").className.replace(/nojs[\s]*/g, '');</script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds-init.min.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-MMVM77');</script> <link rel="canonical" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002498.htm" itemprop="url"/> <link rel="alternative" hreflang="es" href="https://medlineplus.gov/spanish/ency/article/002498.htm"/> <link rel="alternative" hreflang="en" href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002498.htm"/><meta property="og:title" content="Hydrochloric acid poisoning: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia"/><meta property="og:url" content="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002498.htm"/><meta property="twitter:title" content="Hydrochloric acid poisoning: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia"/><meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"/><meta name="description" content="Hydrochloric acid is a clear, poisonous liquid. It is a caustic chemical and highly corrosive, which means it immediately causes severe damage to tissues, such as burning, on contact. This article discusses"/><meta itemprop="description" name="description" content="Hydrochloric acid is a clear, poisonous liquid. It is a caustic chemical and highly corrosive, which means it immediately causes severe damage to tissues, such as burning, on contact. This article discusses"/><meta property="og:description" content="Hydrochloric acid is a clear, poisonous liquid. It is a caustic chemical and highly corrosive, which means it immediately causes severe damage to tissues, such as burning, on contact. This article discusses"/><meta property="twitter:description" content="Hydrochloric acid is a clear, poisonous liquid. It is a caustic chemical and highly corrosive, which means it immediately causes severe damage to tissues, such as burning, on contact. This article discusses"/><meta property="og:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/share_ency_1.jpg"/><meta property="og:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/share_ency_2.jpg"/><meta property="og:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/share_ency_3.jpg"/><meta property="twitter:image" content="https://medlineplus.gov/images/share_ency_1.jpg"/> <title>Hydrochloric acid poisoning: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia</title> </head> <body><link href="http://schema.org/Patient" itemprop="audience"/>  <noscript><iframe title="googletagmanager" src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-MMVM77" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"> </iframe> </noscript>  <a name="top" id="top"> </a> <a class="hide-offscreen" href="#start">Skip navigation</a> <section class="usa-banner" aria-label="Official website of the United States government"> <div class="usa-accordion"> <header class="usa-banner__header"> <div class="usa-banner__inner"> <div class="grid-col-auto"> <img aria-hidden="true" class="usa-banner__header-flag" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/us_flag_small.png" alt=""/> </div> <div class="grid-col-fill tablet:grid-col-auto" aria-hidden="true"> <p class="usa-banner__header-text"> An official website of the United States government </p> <p class="usa-banner__header-action">Here’s how you know</p> </div> <button type="button" class="usa-accordion__button usa-banner__button" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="gov-banner-default-default"> <span class="usa-banner__button-text">Here’s how you know</span> </button> </div> </header> <div class="usa-banner__content usa-accordion__content" id="gov-banner-default-default"> <div class="grid-row grid-gap-lg"> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/icon-dot-gov.svg" role="img" alt="" aria-hidden="true"/> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong><br/>A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. </p> </div> </div> <div class="usa-banner__guidance tablet:grid-col-6"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/img/icon-https.svg" role="img" alt="" aria-hidden="true"/> <div class="usa-media-block__body"> <p> <strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong><br/>A <strong>lock</strong> ( <span class="icon-lock"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="52" height="64" viewBox="0 0 52 64" class="usa-banner__lock-image" role="img" aria-labelledby="banner-lock-description-default" focusable="false"> <title id="banner-lock-title-default">Lock</title> <desc id="banner-lock-description-default">Locked padlock icon</desc> <path fill="#000000" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M26 0c10.493 0 19 8.507 19 19v9h3a4 4 0 0 1 4 4v28a4 4 0 0 1-4 4H4a4 4 0 0 1-4-4V32a4 4 0 0 1 4-4h3v-9C7 8.507 15.507 0 26 0zm0 8c-5.979 0-10.843 4.77-10.996 10.712L15 19v9h22v-9c0-6.075-4.925-11-11-11z"> </path> </svg> </span>) or <strong>https://</strong> means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <div id="mplus-wrap"> <header> <div id="mplus-header">  <div id="mplus-orgs"> <a title="National Institutes of Health" target="_blank" class="nih-org" href="//www.nih.gov/"> <img alt="National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nihlogo.png" class="nihlogo"/> </a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/"> National Library of Medicine </a> </div>  <div id="mplus-logo" class="years-25"> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/m_logo_25.png" title="MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You" alt="MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You"/> </a> </div>  <div id="mplus-nav"> <div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite">The navigation menu has been collapsed.</div>  <button type="submit" aria-controls="mplus-menu-list" role="button" title="Menu" class="navmenu-btn" id="sm-menu-btn" aria-pressed="false" tabindex="0">Menu<span class="icon icon-nav-menu"> </span></button><ul class="nav-list" id="mplus-menu-list"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html">Health Topics</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html">Drugs & Supplements</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/">Genetics</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/">Medical Tests</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html">Medical Encyclopedia</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li> </ul><button type="submit" aria-controls="mplus-search" role="button" title="Search" class="navmenu-btn" id="sm-search-btn" aria-pressed="false" tabindex="0"><span class="hide-offscreen">Show </span>Search<span class="icon icon-nav-search"> </span></button> <div class="top-1">  <form target="_self" title="Search MedlinePlus" action="//vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta" method="get" id="mplus-search"> <input type="hidden" value="medlineplus" name="v:project"/> <input type="hidden" value="medlineplus-bundle" name="v:sources"/> <div class="form-box text-combo"> <div class="form-area"><label for="searchtext_primary" class="hide-offscreen">Search MedlinePlus</label> <span role="status" aria-live="polite" class="ui-helper-hidden-accessible"> </span><input type="text" aria-haspopup="true" aria-autocomplete="list" role="textbox" autocomplete="off" name="query" size="40" maxlength="400" title="Site Search input" alt="Site Search input" placeholder="Search MedlinePlus" class="form-text ui-autocomplete-input" id="searchtext_primary"/> </div> <div class="button-area"> <button type="submit" alt="Search MedlinePlus" title="Search MedlinePlus" class="form-btn">GO</button> </div> </div> </form>  <div class="secondarynav"> <ul class="nav-list"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/"><span>About MedlinePlus</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/"><span>What's New</span></a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html"><span>Site Map</span></a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from=//medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002498.htm"><span>Customer Support</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div>  <div id="mplus-nav-bar"> <ul class="nav-list"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/healthtopics.html">Health Topics</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginformation.html">Drugs & Supplements</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/">Genetics</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/">Medical Tests</a></li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html">Medical Encyclopedia</a></li> </ul> </div> <a title="Español" id="mplus-lang-toggle" href="../../spanish/ency/article/002498.htm">Español</a> </div> </div> </header>  <div id="mplus-content">  <div id="breadcrumbs"><div itemtype="http://schema.org/BreadcrumbList" itemscope="" itemprop="breadcrumb"><span class="hide-offscreen">You Are Here:</span> <div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Home</span></a> → <meta itemprop="position" content="1"/> </div> <div itemscope itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"> <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/encyclopedia.html" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Medical Encyclopedia</span></a> → <meta itemprop="position" content="2"/> </div> </div><div><span>Hydrochloric acid poisoning</span></div></div> <span class="page-url print-only">URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002498.htm </span>  <article><div id="d-article"><div class="page-info"><div class="page-title"><a name="start" id="start"> </a><h1 class="with-also" itemprop="name">Hydrochloric acid poisoning</h1> </div><div class="page-actions"> </div> <noscript> <span class="js-disabled-message">To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript.</span> </noscript></div><div class="main-single"><div id="ency_summary"><p>Hydrochloric acid is a clear, poisonous liquid. It is a caustic chemical and highly corrosive, which means it immediately causes severe damage to tissues, such as burning, on contact. This article discusses poisoning from swallowing or breathing in hydrochloric acid.</p><p>This article is for information only. DO NOT use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. </p></div><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Poisonous Ingredient</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-1" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-1"><p>Hydrochloric acid</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Where Found</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-2" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-2"><p>Hydrochloric acid is found in:</p><ul><li>Certain fertilizers</li><li>Pool chemicals</li><li>Soldering <a test="test" href="./002830.htm">fluxes</a></li><li>Toilet bowl and other porcelain cleaners </li></ul><p>This list is not all inclusive.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Symptoms</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-3" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-3"><p>Symptoms from swallowing hydrochloric acid may include:</p><ul><li>Mouth and throat burn, causing severe pain</li><li>Drooling</li><li>Breathing difficulty due to swelling of throat</li><li>Severe abdominal pain</li><li>Bloody vomiting</li><li>Severe chest pain</li><li>Fever</li><li>Rapid drop in blood pressure (shock)</li></ul><p>Symptoms from breathing in hydrochloric acid:</p><ul><li><a test="test" href="./003215.htm">Bluish color to lips and fingernails</a></li><li>Chest tightness</li><li>Choking</li><li><a test="test" href="./003073.htm">Coughing up blood</a></li><li><a test="test" href="./003093.htm">Dizziness</a></li><li>Low blood pressure</li><li><a test="test" href="./003077.htm">Rapid pulse</a></li><li><a test="test" href="./003075.htm">Shortness of breath</a></li><li>Weakness </li></ul><p>If the poison touches your skin or eyes, you may have:</p><ul><li>Blisters</li><li>Burns</li><li>Pain</li><li>Vision loss </li></ul></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Home Care</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-4" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-4"><p>Seek immediate medical help. DO NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional.</p><p>If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.</p><p>If the chemical was swallowed, immediately give the person water or milk, unless instructed otherwise by a health care provider. DO NOT give water or milk if the person is having symptoms (such as vomiting, convulsions, or a decreased level of alertness) that make it hard to swallow.</p><p>If the person breathed in the poison, immediately move him or her to fresh air. </p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Before Calling Emergency</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-5" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-5"><p>If possible, determine the following information:</p><ul><li>Person's age, weight, and condition (for example, is the person awake or alert?)</li><li>Name of the product (ingredients and strength, if known)</li><li>When it was swallowed or inhaled</li><li>How much was swallowed or inhaled </li></ul><p>However, DO NOT delay calling for help if this information is not immediately available.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Poison Control</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-6" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-6"><p>Your local <a test="test" href="./002724.htm">poison control center</a> can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.</p><p>This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>What to Expect at the Emergency Room</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-7" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-7"><p>The provider will measure and monitor the person's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The person may receive:</p><ul><li>Airway support, including oxygen, breathing tube through the mouth (intubation), and breathing machine (ventilator)</li><li>Blood and urine tests</li><li>Camera down the throat to see burns in the airway (bronchoscopy)</li><li>Camera down the throat to see burns in the esophagus and stomach (endoscopy)</li><li>Chest x-ray</li><li>CT (computerized axial tomography, or advanced imaging) scan</li><li>ECG (electrocardiogram, or heart tracing)</li><li>Fluids through a vein (IV)</li><li>Medicines to treat symptoms</li><li>Tube through the nose into the stomach to suction (aspirate) any remaining acid if the victim is seen shortly after ingesting the poison</li></ul><p>Note: Activated charcoal does not effectively treat (adsorb) hydrochloric acid.</p><p>For skin exposure, treatment may include:</p><ul><li>Surgical removal of burned skin (debridement)</li><li>Transfer to a hospital that specializes in burn care</li><li>Washing of the skin (irrigation), possibly every few hours for several days</li></ul></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Outlook (Prognosis)</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-8" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-8"><p>How well a person does depends on the amount of poison swallowed and how quickly treatment was received. The faster a person gets medical help, the better the chance for recovery.</p><p>The person may need to stay in the hospital for more treatment. Swallowing poison can have severe effects on many parts of the body. Extensive damage to the mouth, throat, and stomach are possible. Holes (perforations) in the esophagus and stomach may result in serious infections in the chest and abdominal cavities, which may result in death. Surgery may be needed to repair the perforations. Cancer of the esophagus is a high risk in people who live after ingesting hydrochloric acid.</p></div></div></section><section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>References</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-Ref" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div><div class="section-body" id="section-Ref"><p>Hoyte C. Caustics. In: Walls RM, ed. <em>Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice</em>. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 143.</p><p>Kuschner WG, Blanc PD. Acute responses to toxic exposures. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. <em>Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine.</em> 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 103.</p></div></div></section> <section><div class="section"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title"><h2>Review Date 1/2/2023</h2></div><div class="section-button"><button type="submit" aria-controls="section-version" role="button" title="Expand/Collapse section"><span class="icon icon-section-action"> </span></button></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div> <div id="section-version" class="section-body"><p>Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. </p> </div></div></section><section><div class="section ency-citation"><div class="section-header"><div class="section-title ency-citation"><div id="citation-how-to"><button><span>Learn how to cite this page</span></button></div></div><div class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen" aria-live="polite"> </div></div></div></section></div></div></article> </div> <footer> <div class="provider-box group"> <div class="urac-logo"> <a href="https://accreditnet.urac.org/directory/#/certification/HCP-2/info"><img src="https://www.urac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Certified001.png"/></a> <p class="urac-logo-info">Health Content Provider<br>06/01/2025</p> </div> <p class="adam-info"> <a href='javascript:urac_open();'>A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC</a>, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's <a href='javascript:hwsopen();'>accreditation program</a> is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s <a href='javascript:edpolopen();'>editorial policy, editorial process</a>, and <a href='javascript:ppopen();'>privacy policy</a>. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: <a href='javascript:honc_open();'>verify here</a>. </p> </div> <p class="adam-info"> The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only – they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. </p> <div class="adam-logo"> <a href="https://www.adam.com/about" target="_blank"><img width="49" height="10" alt="About A.D.A.M." src="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/images/ency/ftrAdamlogo.gif"/></a> </div> <div id="mplus-footer"> <div class="footer1"> <ul class="secondarynav"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/">About MedlinePlus</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/whatsnew/">What's New</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/sitemap.html">Site Map</a></li> <li><a name="contact" target="_blank" href="https://support.nlm.nih.gov/knowledgebase/category/?id=CAT-01231&category=medlineplus&from="><span>Customer Support</span></a></li> </ul> <ul class="follow-footer"> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/rss.html" class="follow-item">Subscribe to RSS<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/feed.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="RSS" title="RSS"></a></li> <li><span class="follow-label">Follow us</span> <a href="https://twitter.com/medlineplus" class="follow-item" target="_blank"><img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_twitter.png" class="follow-icon" alt="X" title="X"></a> <a href="https://facebook.com/Mplus.gov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank"><img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_share_fb.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mplusgov/" class="follow-item" target="_blank"><img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/Instagram_Glyph_Gradient_RGB.png" class="follow-icon" alt="Instagram" title="Instagram"></a> </li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/social-media-toolkit/" class="social-media-toolkit-item">Social Media Toolkit<img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/i_social_media_toolkit.png" class="social-media-toolkit-icon" alt="Social Media Toolkit" title="Social Media Toolkit"></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="footer2"> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/web_policies.html" target="_blank">NLM Web Policies</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/usingcontent/" >Copyright</a></li> <li><a href="//medlineplus.gov/accessibility.html">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/using/criteria/">Guidelines for Links</a></li> <li><a href="//medlineplus.gov/plugins.html">Viewers & Players</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.hhs.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy/index.html" target="_blank">HHS Vulnerability Disclosure</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/medlineplus-connect/">MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs</a></li> <li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/about/developers/">For Developers</a></li> </ul> <div class="address"> <a href="//www.nlm.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Library of Medicine</a> <span>8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894</span> <a href="//www.hhs.gov" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a> <a href="//www.nih.gov" target="_blank">National Institutes of Health</a> </div> <div class="return-top"><a href="#top" title="Return to top"><img class="return-top-icon" alt="Return to top" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/return-top.png"></a></div> </div> </div> </footer> </div> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/jquery-3.6.0.min.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-frontend-controls.js" type="text/javascript"> </script>  <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/mplus-share.js?id=1112022" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/control.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/uswds/js/uswds.min.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <script src="https://medlineplus.gov/jslib/ency/ency.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> </body> </html>