Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Each year, about 2.4 million people, more than half of whom are children under the age of six, are ingested or exposed to toxins, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The poison can be inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the skin. The most dangerous culprits include drugs, cleaning products, liquid nicotine, glass cleaner and anti-freeze water, pesticides, gasoline, kerosene and others. The effects of these and many other toxins can be so different that it is often difficult to know what happened, leading to delays in many cases. In any case of suspected poisoning, the first and foremost thing is to immediately call emergency services or poison control center.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Seeking medical help

1. 

   
   
   Know the symptoms of poisoning. Signs of poisoning can depend on the poison that was swallowed, such as a pesticide, a medicine or a small battery. In addition, the symptoms of poisoning commonly manifest similar to other medical conditions, including seizures, insulin response, stroke and intoxication. One of the best ways to see if the poison has been swallowed is to look for signs such as empty bottles or containers, stains or odors on the victim or nearby, objects that are out of place, or compartment. open cabinets. There are a few physical symptoms to watch out for, however, including:
   • Burns and / or redness around the mouth
   • Chemical-smelling breath (gasoline or paint thinner)
   • Vomiting or gagging
   • Shortness of breath
   • Asleep
   • Mental disorder or altered mental condition

2. 

   
   
   Determine if the victim is breathing.Look see if the chest is raised; listen the sound of air coming in and out of the lungs; feel air by placing the cheek above the victim's mouth.
   • If the victim is not breathing or shows no other vital signs such as movement or coughing, perform CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation and call emergency services or have someone nearby call an ambulance.
   • If the casualty is vomiting, especially when they are unconscious, turn the victim's head sideways to prevent choking.

3. 

   
   
   Call emergency services. Call 911 (in Vietnam you can call the ambulance number 115) or the local emergency number if the victim is unconscious and suspected of poisoning, overdose of drugs, drugs or alcohol (or unconsciousness). any combination of them). In addition, you should call 911 immediately if you see the victim has the following serious symptoms of poisoning:
   • Fainting
   • Difficulty breathing or apnea
   • Agitation or restlessness
   • Convulsions

4. 

   Call poison control center (Poison Help). If you are concerned that it is poisoning, but the person suspected of being poisoned is stable and has no symptoms, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (in the US). Or you can call your local poison control center for assistance with phone number. Poison control centers are a good source of poison information, and in many cases these may advise you to monitor and treat at home (see section 2).
   • Poison control centers phone numbers vary from region to region, but you can simply search online to find the correct number for the area you live in. This service is free, you do not have to pay for the emergency room and doctor visits.
   • The poison control center is open all day and all days. Center staff will guide you through the step-by-step procedure for someone who swallows the poison. They can instruct the victim in home treatment, but can also tell you to take the victim immediately to the emergency. Do exactly what they say, and do nothing else; Poison center staff are highly skilled in assisting with gastrointestinal poisoning.
   • You can also use the poison control center's website for specific instructions on what to do. However, use this website only if: the victim is between the ages of 6 months and 79 years, the victim shows no signs of illness, or the victim is cooperating, the victim is not pregnant, the poison has been ingested. , the suspected poison is stimulants, drugs, household products or wild fruit, ingestion of the poison is accidental and only happens once.

5. 

   Prepare important information. Prepare to describe the victim's age, weight, symptoms, medications they are taking and any information about ingestion of the poison to the responsible person at the health authority. You also need to tell the operator where you are located.
   • Be sure to also collect labels or packages (bottles, cans, etc.) or anything the victim has swallowed. Try to estimate the amount of poison the person has swallowed.
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Part 2 of 2: Emergency first aid

1. 

   Handling toxins that have been ingested or swallowed. Have the victim spit out everything else in the mouth and make sure the poison is out of reach. DO NOT induce vomiting and do NOT use any emetic syrup. Although this was once a standard practice, the American Pediatric Society and the American Poison Control Center Association have changed the warning guidelines against this practice, instead recommending that everyone advise Emergency services and poison control center and follow their specific instructions.
   • If button battery is swallowed, call emergency services for emergency room treatment of a hospital as soon as possible. The acid in the battery can burn a person's stomach within 2 hours, so a timely emergency is essential.

2. 

   
   
   Take care of the eyes with poison. Gently rinse the contaminated eye with plenty of cool or lukewarm water for 15 minutes or until emergency team arrives. Try to pour a steady stream of water into the inner corner of your eye. This will help dilute the poison.
   • Allow the victim to blink and do not force the eye open while pouring water into the eye.

3. 

   
   
   Deal with inhaled poison. When dealing with smoke or toxic vapors such as carbon monoxide, the best thing to do while waiting for an emergency to arrive is to go outdoors with fresh air.
   • Try to determine what chemical the victim was breathing in, so they can tell the poison control center or emergency services so they can determine the treatment or next steps.

4. 

   
   
   Handling toxins on the skin. If you suspect that the victim has been exposed to a hazardous chemical, remove any contaminated clothing by wearing medical gloves such as nitrile rubber gloves, gloves against household chemicals, or gloves with other materials to prevent poisoning. Wash contaminated skin for 15-20 minutes with cool or warm water in a shower or running water.
   • As above, it is important to be aware of the source of the poisoning to help determine the next treatment. For example, health-care workers need to know if the chemical is alkaline, acid, or other to assess potential damage to the skin and how to avoid or treat the damage.
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Advice

• Never call a medicine "candy" to comfort a child to drink. Your child may want to eat "candy" when you are not around.
• Stick the national poison control center number 1-800-222-1222 (in the US) on the refrigerator or next to the phone to have it ready when needed.

Warning

• Although emetic syrup and activated charcoal are available in pharmacies, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association of Poisoning Centers currently do not recommend home treatment because it can do more harm than good.
• Preventing the wrong use of poison. Prevention is the best way to prevent poisoning. Keep all medications, batteries, varnishes, detergents and household cleaners in the locked drawer, and always keep in their original packaging. Read the label carefully for correct use.