Poisoning
A poisoning may or may not be
obvious. Sometimes the source of a poisoning can
be easily identified -- an open bottle of medication
or a spilled bottle of household cleaner. Look
for these signs if you suspect a poisoning emergency:
1. Burns or redness around the
mouth and lips.
2. Breath that smells like chemicals.
3. Burns, stains, and odors
on the person, his or her clothing, or on the
furniture, floor, rugs, or other objects in the
surrounding area.
4. Vomiting, difficulty breathing,
or other unexpected symptoms.
If you can find no indication
of poisoning, do not treat the person for poisoning,
but call for emergency help.
If
you believe someone has been poisoned, take the
following steps:
1. Some products have instructions
on the label specifying what to do if a poisoning
occurs. If the product known to be the poison
has these instructions, follow them.
2. If the person is alert, give
him or her a glass of water or milk to drink.
The liquid will slow the rate at which the poison
is absorbed by the body. But if the person is
weak, lethargic, unconscious, or having seizures,
do not give him or her anything by mouth.
3. If you cannot identify the
poison or there are no instructions on the product
label, call your local poison control center for
instructions. Keep the number near your telephone.
4. Certain poisons should be
vomited; others should not. If you do not know
the identity of the substance swallowed, do not
induce vomiting. Overall, you should not induce
vomiting unless directed to by a poison control
authority or your physician.
5. If you are told to induce
vomiting in the person who has swallowed poison,
use syrup of ipecac to do so.
An alternative method to induce vomiting is touching
the back of the throat of the person to initiate
gagging. If you have no other alternative, have
the person drink a glass of warm water containing
1 teaspoon of dried mustard or 3 teaspoons of
salt. After the person has vomited, give a glass
of water or milk.
6. If the poison has spilled
on the person's clothing, skin, or eyes, remove
the clothing and flush the skin or eyes with cool
or lukewarm water for 20 minutes.
7. Get immediate medical attention.
If you have identified the poison, take the container
with you.
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