POISONINGS.
Close your eyes, picture the Mr. Yuk sticker and sing along with me: "Mr.
Yuk is mean…Mr. Yuk is green." We all remember the green label with
the eyes squinting and tongue sticking out, don't we? Created in 1971 by the
Pittsburgh Poison Center, Mr. Yuk educated children and adults about poison prevention
and continues to promote poison awareness. Now more than 30 years later and combined
with many companies eliminating lethal chemicals in their products, the country
has seen a drastic drop in children's deaths caused by poisoning.
We aren't out of the woods yet. Although less than 25 childhood deaths occur
each year due to accidental ingestion, there are still more than one million
cases of accidental pediatric poisonings annually.
What should be done if my child is poisoned? The first
aid measures for poisoning initially involves protecting your child from further
injury. In the event that
the exposure is serious, call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. Be sure
to have as much information available for the emergency medical providers as
possible including containers and bottles of the offending substance.
In the event that the ingestion can be treated at home, it is important to contact
the Poison Control Center at (800) 222-1222. This is a national number that will
route your call to a local state agency. Poison Control Centers are staffed 24
hours daily by toxicology technicians and Toxicologists, which are physician
specialists.
You will be given appropriate instructions on how to deal with the home emergency.
You will also be told if it is necessary to seek immediate medical attention.
If you need to visit your emergency department, the Poison Control Center usually
notifies the emergency department staff of the impending visit and treatment
recommendations.
What are the new recommendations for treatment? Since the
1960s, Ipecac has been available as an over-the-counter medication that induces
vomiting. It has been
shown over the years that it was important to remove the poison from a child's
stomach by using this medicine. Once given, a child will start vomiting within
about 20 minutes. This has been thought to clear the stomach of the offending
poison. Recent research has not supported the home use of Ipecac or Activated
Charcoal. Activated Charcoal is given in the Emergency Department in order to
absorb poisons while in the child's stomach.
Recent research has questioned the safety and effectiveness of Ipecac. It has
now been shown that Ipecac can be dangerous and the risks outweigh the benefits.
Some problems with Ipecac have included the possibility of aspirating the vomitus
into the lungs, sleepiness and the inability for the child to tolerate oral antidotes
or absorptive medicines. With corrosive substances, making a child vomit these
back up will cause additional damage to the body.
What else can I do? First, remain calm and call Poison
Control. Gather as much information as possible to help your health care providers
and then seek medical
attention. Basic first aid measures should be implemented such as maintaining
an airway, breathing and circulation. Be sure to utilize your pre-hospital emergency
care providers if needed.
Prevention is the most important step in the treatment of poisonings. Keep poisons
and medicines out of the reach of children. Be sure to engage childproof safety
caps on containers. Never transfer poisonous substances or medications from their
original containers. Be sure to properly dispose of old chemicals and medicines.
Never refer to medicines as "candy" to children, because this is the
setting for disaster!
It is now recommended that you properly dispose of Ipecac that you may have in
your medicine cabinet. You should no longer give this medicine under any circumstances,
unless directed by you doctor. If stomach decontamination is necessary, it must
be done under the supervision of medical professionals in the hospital.
