First-Aid Treatment for Poisoning Part 1

About the proper first-aid treatments for people suffering from poisoning or ingestion of poisonous chemicals, list of poisons.

POISONING

Poisoning is the 3rd most common cause of accidental death to children. Each year, over 500,000 children swallow poisonous household products. Some 100,000 of these poisonings are due to common aspirin. Almost always, the poisonings are preceded by a period of tensions and irritations in the household so that the person in charge is too tired or worried to take the usual precautions.

There are some 250,000 potential poisons you can buy in your neighborhood stores. Many of these are not labeled as poisons, nor are they generally recognized as poisons because they are not meant to be ingested at all (i.e., perfumes) or are not meant to be ingested by children (i.e., "pep" pills). Crawlers and toddlers are the most susceptible to poisonings because of their newfound mobility, their insatiable curiosity, and their irresistible oral urges.

The Federal Government operates some 550 Poison Control Centers throughout the country. Obtain the phone number of the one nearest to you beforehand--particularly if there are small children in your household--and post it in your house along with a complete, authoritative, and easy-to-read poison chart. And most important, practice poison prevention. Don't forget that houseplants and outdoor plants can be poisonous and even fatal; the American Red Cross puts out an excellent information sheet on poisonous plants.

Treatment

The treatment varies according to the nature of the poisoning. One must act quickly in any kind of poisoning to stop the absorption of the poison into the system. Treatment is discussed under these categories: Swallowed Poisons, Skin Contamination, Eye Contamination, and Inhaled Poisonous Fumes or Smoke.

Swallowed Poisons

1. If available, follow the direction for antidote on the label of the poison container.

2. If not available, then immediately dilute the poison with a glass of milk or water or both. (This applies to both corrosive and noncorrosive poisons.)

3. After this, determine quickly whether the poison is corrosive or noncorrosive so that you can know whether to induce vomiting. If you cannot determine this from the following list, immediately call your nearest Poison Control Center or hospital.

Corrosive Poisons

Acids (strong)

Ammonia

Benzine

Bleach

Carbolic acid disinfectants

Cleaning fluid

Corn and wart remover

Disinfectant

Drain cleaner

Furniture polish

Gasoline

Grease remover

Gun cleaner

Lighter fluid

Lye

Lysol

Kerosene

Metal cleaner

Oven cleaner

Oxalic acid

Paintbrush cleaner

Paint thinner

Petroleum

Sulfuric acid

Toilet bowl cleaner

Turpentine

Typewriter cleaner

Washing soda

Wood preservatives

Noncorrosive Poisons

Alcohol

Analgesic

Aspirin

Beer

Bufferin

Empirin

Heart medicine

Hormones

Iron pills and syrup

Laxatives

Paregoric

Pep pills

Reducing medicine

Sleeping pills

Soap

Tranquilizers

Vitamins

Wax