Poisons Overview

The danger of poisons

Persons of any age can become ill if they come into contact with certain medications, household pesticides, chemicals, cosmetics, or plants. However, children, in particular, continue to face a greater risk of unintentional poisoning death and exposure than adults - not only because they are smaller, but, also because they have faster metabolic rates and are less able physically to handle toxic chemicals.

What causes poisonings?

Young children are poisoned most often by things in the home, such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Drugs and medications (Iron medications are the most common cause of poisonings in children under age 5.)

• Cleaning products

• Plants

• Cosmetics

• Pesticides

• Paints and solvents

Increasingly, carbon monoxide poisoning and lead poisoning are posing a threat to both children and adults. While serious reactions can occur in all cases of poisoning, most persons are not permanently harmed if they are treated immediately.

How do most poisonings occur?

More than 90 percent of all poison exposures occur in the home. Among children ages 5 and under, 57 percent of poison exposures are by non-pharmaceutical products such as cosmetics, cleaning substances, plants, pesticides, and art supplies, and 43 percent are by drugs and medications.

Most poisonings occur when parents are not paying close attention or watching children as closely as usual. Calls to poison control centers peak between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. In fact, because the hectic routine of getting dinner on the table causes so many lapses in parental attention, late afternoon has come to be known as "the arsenic hour" by poison center personnel.

What to do if a poisoning occurs

• Swallowed poisons If you find your child with an open or empty container of a toxic substance, your child may have been poisoned. Stay calm, act quickly, and follow these guidelines:

  • Get the poison away from the child.

  • If the substance is still in the child's mouth, make him/her spit it out or remove it with your fingers (keep this along with any other evidence of what the child has swallowed).

  • Do not make the child vomit (your physician or poison control center will instruct you when it is necessary to make the child vomit).

  • Do not follow instructions on packaging regarding poisoning as these are often outdated; instead call your physician or poison control center immediately for instructions.

Call 911 right away, if your child has any of the following symptoms

• Sore throat

• Trouble breathing

• Drowsiness, irritability, or jumpiness

• Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain without fever

• Lip or mouth burns or blisters

• Unusual drooling

• Strange odors on your child's breath

• Unusual stains on your child's clothing

• Seizures or unconsciousness

Take or send the poison container with your child to help the physician determine what was swallowed. If your child does not have these symptoms, call your local poison control center or your child's physician. They will need the following information in order to help you:

• Your name and phone number

• Your child's name, age, and weight

• Any medical conditions your child may have

• Any medications your child may be taking

• The name of the substance your child swallowed - read it from the container and spell it

• The time your child swallowed the poison (or when you found your child), and the amount you think was swallowed.

• Any symptoms your child may be having

• If the substance was a prescription medication, give all the information on the label including the name of the drug.

  • If the name of the drug is not on the label, give the name and phone number of the pharmacy, and the date of the prescription.

  • What the pill looked like (if you can tell) and if it had any printed numbers or letters on it.

• If your child swallowed another substance, such as a part of a plant, describe it as much as you can to help identify it.

• Poisons on the skin If your child spills a chemical on her body, remove his/her clothes and rinse the skin with lukewarm - not hot - water. If the area shows signs of being burned, continue rinsing for at least 15 minutes, no matter how much your child may protest. Then call the poison control center for further advice. Do not use ointments or grease.

• Poison in the eye Flush the eye by holding the eyelid open and pouring a steady stream of lukewarm water (not hot) into the inner corner of the eye. If this is a child, you may need help from another adult to hold the child while you rinse the eye. Continue flushing the eye for 15 minutes, and call the poison control center for further instructions. Do not use an eyecup, eyedrops or ointment unless the poison center instructs you to do so.

• Poisonous fumes or gases In the home, poisonous fumes can be emitted from the following sources:

  • A car running in a closed garage

  • Leaky gas vents

  • Wood, coal, or kerosene stoves that are not working properly

  • Mixing bleach and ammonia together while cleaning, which makes chloramine gas

  • Strong fumes from other cleaners and solvents

  If your child breathes in fumes or gases, get him/her into fresh air right away.

  • If your child is breathing without problem, call the poison center for further instructions.

  • If your child is having difficulty breathing, call 911 or your local emergency service (EMS).

  • If your child has stopped breathing, start CPR and do not stop until your child breathes on his/her own or someone else can take over. If you can, have someone call emergency right away. If you are alone, perform CPR for one minute and then call emergency.

Be prepared for a poisoning emergency by posting the poison center telephone number by every telephone in your home.

Child-resistant lids will now go on certain common household products

In 2002, the Consumer Product Safety Commission voted to require safety caps on a variety of commonly used household products. The products, all oily hydrocarbon products, are thin and slippery and can easily suffocate children if the substances are drawn into their lungs when drinking them. The products can cause chemical pneumonia, by coating the inside of the lungs. Products that will be required to have a safety lid include:

• Baby oils

• Sunscreens

• Nail enamel dryers

• Hair oils

• Bath, body, and massage oils

• Makeup removers

• Some automotive chemicals (gasoline additives, fuel injection cleaners, and carburetor cleaners)

• Cleaning solvents (wood oil cleaners, metal cleaners, spot removers, and adhesive removers)

• Some water repellents containing mineral spirits used for decks, shoes, and sports equipment

• General-use household oil

• Gun-cleaning solvents containing kerosene

Oil products that are thicker and more "syrupy" are not a problem, since they are not easily inhaled into the lungs.