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Poisoning: First Aid
By Matt Unangst, 11 Feb 21:55
Poisoning has the same symptoms as a great deal of other conditions, including but not limited to: seizures, alcohol intoxication, stroke, and insulin reaction. This article will give you some information to determine if someone has been poisoned, but you should call a poison control center at (800) 222-1222 before doing anything to treat suspected poisoning.
If someone has been poisoned, they will normally exhibit one or more of the following symptoms:
• redness or burns around the mouth and lips – if the poison has been eaten or drunk
• a chemical smell on the person’s breath
• burns on the person, his/her clothing, furniture, floor, or surrounding objects
• stains in any of the same places
• strange odors in any of the same places
• vomiting
• difficulty breathing
• sleepiness
• confusion
Another thing to look for is empty medication bottles or pills scattered around the person you believe has been poisoned.
You should call 911 immediately if the affected person exhibits the following symptoms:
• drowsiness or unconsciousness
• difficulty breathing or not breathing
• uncontrollable restlessness or agitation
• seizures
If you suspect poisoning, but the person is showing no symptoms, call a poison control center. Give the operator any information you have on the person’s symptoms or any possible poisonous substances he/she has ingested.
While you are waiting for medical help to arrive, there are some other things you should do. If the person has inhaled poisonous fumes, you should get him/her into an area with fresh air immediately. Remove any poison left in the mouth if the person has swallowed the poison. Remove clothing if the poison has gotten on that clothing.
Read labels of any household cleaner or chemical if it is swallowed. If it is poisonous, it will have instructions for accidental poisoning and will usually advise you to call a poison control center.
A poison control center can assist you with any poisoning issues. Follow the instructions you are given by the poison control center operator. When going to a hospital, take the bottle that the poison came in with you.
If poison gets in your eyes, flush them with cool running water for at least 20 minutes. (See the article on Chemical Splashes in the Eye for more information on flushing the eye).
Do not induce vomiting if someone has swallowed poison. Although it has long been thought that vomiting an effective remedy for poisoning, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a study in 2003 which showed little evidence of the efficacy of vomiting and a great deal of evidence of harm it has caused.
Tags: poison, poison control center, american academy of pediatrics, chemical, poison, first aid