Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

WARFARIN POTASSIUM

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

An anticoagulant which depresses the vitamin- K dependent synthesis of coagulation factors
II (prothrombin), VII, IX and X. Equally effective when given orally or intravenously.
Used in the prevention and treatment of venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism and in
patients with prosthetic heart valves, rheumatic valvular disease, atrial fibrillation and
transient ischaemic attacks. Medicine

SYNONYMS

C19-H15-O4.K, "coumarin, 3-(alpha-acetonylbenzyl)-4-hydroxy-, potassium salt",
"coumarin, 3-(alpha-acetonylbenzyl)-4-hydroxy-, potassium salt", "2H-1-benzopyran-2-one,
4-hydroxy-3-(3-oxo-1-phenylbutyl)-, potassium salt", "2H-1-benzopyran-2-one, 4-hydroxy-
3-(3-oxo-1-phenylbutyl)-, potassium salt", "warfarin K", "Atrombin K", anticoagulant

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

Toxic if swallowed.
May cause harm to the unborn child.
Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through
inhalation.
Harmful to aquatic organisms, may cause long- term adverse effects in the
aquatic environment.

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Heparin, coumarin and indan-1,3-dione derivatives are used to kill rodents and to prevent blood clotting. They block the synthesis of prothrombin by antagonizing vitamin K. They are safe in normal use but with high does or prolonged use, they can cause bleeding accidents, especially in sensitive persons. Symptoms of poisoning include nausea and vomiting; effects may be delayed for days. Other symptoms include bleeding gums, easy bruising, blood in the urine and excessive bleeding from minor wounds. Severe poisonings can cause shock, coma and death.  Toxic effects may result from the accidental ingestion of the material; animal experiments indicate that ingestion of less than 40 gram may be fatal or may produce serious damage to the health of the individual.  

EYE

  Although the material is not thought to be an irritant, direct contact with the eye may cause transient discomfort characterized by tearing or conjunctival redness (as with windburn). Slight abrasive damage may also result. The material may produce foreign body irritation in certain individuals.  

SKIN

  The material is not thought to be a skin irritant (as classified using animal models). Abrasive damage however, may result from prolonged exposures. Good hygiene practice requires that exposure be kept to a minimum and that suitable gloves be used in an occupational setting.  Skin contact with the material may damage the health of the individual; systemic effects may result following absorption.  Coumarin and its derivatives may act as slight allergens in contact withskin.  Open cuts, abraded or irritated skin should not be exposed to this material.  Entry into the blood-stream, through, for example, cuts, abrasions or lesions, may produce systemic injury with harmful effects. Examine the skin prior to the use of the material and ensure that any external damage is suitably protected.  

INHALED

  The material is not thought to produce respiratory irritation (as classified using animal models). Nevertheless inhalation of dusts, or fume, especially for prolonged periods, may produce respiratory discomfort and occasionally, distress.  Inhalation of dusts, generated by the material during the course of normal handling, may produce serious damage to the health of the individual.  Persons with impaired respiratory function, airway diseases and conditions such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis, may incur further disability if excessive concentrations of particulate are inhaled.  Coumarin and its derivatives may act as slight allergens in contact withmucous membranes. Absorption by the lungs is not considered to be asignificant route of entry.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through inhalation.  This material can cause serious damage if one is exposed to it for long periods. It can be assumed that it contains a substance which can produce severe defects. This has been demonstrated via both short- and long-term experimentation.  Ample evidence exists, from results in experimentation, that developmental disorders are directly caused by human exposure to the material.  Limited evidence suggests that repeated or long-term occupational exposure may produce cumulative health effects involving organs or biochemical systems.  There is some evidence that inhaling this product is more likely to cause a sensitization reaction in some persons compared to the general population.  There is limited evidence that, skin contact with this product is more likely to cause a sensitization reaction in some persons compared to the general population.  Long term exposure to high dust concentrations may cause changes in lung function i.e. pneumoconiosis; caused by particles less than 0.5 micron penetrating and remaining in the lung. Prime symptom is breathlessness; lung shadows show on X-ray.  Repeated exposure to some coumarin derivatives may cause nosebleed, bleeding gut and pharynx, dark red bleeding spots, widespread bruising, blood swelling, blood in the phlegm, vomitus, urine or stools. Bleeding into the organs, digestive tract, joints, abdomen can cause localized pain. Exposure at work can cause anemia with weakness, pallor and shock. Many coumarins cause mutations and cancer. Coumarins also inhibit tumor production by carcinogens and inhibit metastasis.  Coumarin and its derivatives may act as slight allergens in contact withmucous membranes. Absorption by the lungs is not considered to be asignificant route of entry.  Exposure to the material for prolonged periods may cause physical defects in the developing embryo (teratogenesis).  Congenital malformations have occurred following maternal exposure to warfarin. Effects are primarily seen in the craniofacial region of the foetus and include nasal hypoplasia, bone stippling and mental retardation. Central nervous system abnormalities have occurred during second or third trimester exposures. Exposure during early pregnancy may also produce dysmorphia.