Absorbed poisons are best described as which of the following?

• A. Poisons that go through the skin
• B. Poisons inhaled as gas
• C. Poisons that are ingested
• D. Poisons that affect the nervous system

Answer: (A)

Absorbed poisons enter the body through the skin. Dermal absorption happens when a chemical contacts the skin and crosses the skin barrier—think of pesticides, solvents, or other industrial chemicals. In practice, identify this exposure by skin contact or contaminated clothing and remove the source, then wash the skin to prevent further absorption and to protect responders.

Inhaled poisons are taken in through the lungs as gas or vapor, not through the skin, and ingested poisons are swallowed and absorbed through the digestive tract. Some substances can affect the nervous system, but that describes the effect, not how they entered the body. So the best description of absorbed poisons is that they go through the skin.