Poisoning-General Considerations
An estimated one million cases of poisoning occur each year in the United States, with 10,000 deaths. A large percentage
of poisoning cases occur in children one to four years of age, the most common cause being the taking of many tablets of flavoured, chewable baby aspirin. Among adults, barbiturate medicines come first, with wood alcohol and denaturated alcohols coming second.
Prevention Rather Than Cure. One’s conduct, particularly at home, is determined largely by habit. Habits of taking precautions and avoiding risks are lifesaving in the long run, whereas habits of carelessness and attitudes of “It can happen to me” form the prelude to misfortune.
How to keep Poison-proof Your Home
1.Keep all drugs, poisonous substances, and household chemicals out of the reach of children. (remember children can climb).
2.Do not store non-edible products on shelves used for storing food.
3.Keep all poisonous substances in their original containers; do not transfer to unlabeled containers.
4.When medicines are discarded, destroy them. Don’t throw them where they may be reached by children pets. Flush them down the toilet.
5.When giving flavoured or brightly coloured medicine to children, always refer to it as medicine-never as candy.
6.Do not give or take medicine in the dark.
7.Read labels before using chemical products.
Symptoms of Poisoning
These often resemble the symptoms of infectious diseases. They include loss of appetite, pain in the abdomen, being sick at the stomach, tendency to vomit, and diarrhea. Also, a poison victim’s skin may be cold, clammy, and blue coloured. There may be loss of consciousness and even convulsions.
The Emergency Call
Once poisoning is suspected, place an emergency call for a physician, the emergency squad of the fire department, or a poison control center. Preferably this call should be placed by a second responsible person so that the first aider can devote all his time to the care of the patient. Give as much information as possible: the patient’s name, any clue as to the nature of the poison (such as the wording on the label on the container), the patient’s symptoms, and the patient’s exact whereabouts. The person placing the call should ask for information on how to care for the patient until help arrives or while the patient is being taken to an emergency room.
First Aid for Poisoning by Inhalation
When the victim has breathed a poison gas (such as carbon monoxide), remove him from the room or area in which he has inhaled the gas and administer artificial respiration as necessary to keep him breathing. (See first thing to do in an emergency ) Call for trained help. If a tank of oxygen is available, waft a stream of the oxygen gas under the victims nose so that hr breathes it.
First Aid for Poison Injected through the Skin
This includes poisoning by rattlesnake or by the sting of an insect. For first-aid procedures, see Bites and stings .
First Aid for Poisoning by Mouth
Try to learn the nature of the poison or medicine swallowed. Give all such information to the doctor, the emergency squad, or the poison control center when making the emergency call. Save the container, if available, and any remaining portion of the poison or medicine. Save the stomach contents if and when the patient vomits. All of these are to be examined by the doctor or the poison specialist who takes over the case.
