Overview
- Poisons are substances that cause injury, illness or death
- These events are caused by a chemical activity in the cells
- Poisons can be injected, inhaled or swallowed
- Poisoning should be suspected if a person is sick for unknown reason
- Poor ventilation can aggravate Inhalation poisoning
- First aid is critical in saving the life of victims
Causes
- Medications
- Drug overdose
- Occupational exposure
- Cleaning detergents/paints
- Carbon mono oxide gas from furnace, heaters
- Insecticides
- Certain cosmetics
- Certain household plants, animals
- Food poisoning (Botulism)
Symptoms
- Blue lips
- Skin Rashes
- Difficulty in breathing
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting/Nausea
- Fever
- Headache
- Giddiness/drowsiness
- Double vision
- Abdominal/chest pain
- Palpitations/Irritability
- Loss of appetite/bladder control
- Numbness
- Muscle twitching
- Seizures
- Weakness
- Loss of consciousness
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Treatment
- Seek immediate medical help
Meanwhile,
- Try and identify the poison if possible
- Check for signs like burns around mouth, breathing difficulty or vomiting
- Induce vomiting if poison swallowed
- In case of convulsions, protect the person from self injury
- If the vomit falls on the skin, wash it thoroughly
- Position the victim on the left till medical help arrives
For inhalation poisoning
- Seek immediate emergency help
- Get help before you attempt to rescue others
- Hold a wet cloth to cover your nose and mouth
- Open all the doors and windows
- Take deep breaths before you begin the rescue
- Avoid lighting a match
- Check the patient's breathing
- Do a CPR, if necessary
- If the patient vomits, take steps to prevent choking
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Steps to Avoid
- Avoid giving an unconscious victim anything orally
- Do not induce vomiting unless told by a medical personnel
- Do not give any medication to the victim unless directed by a doctor
- Do not neutralize the poison with limejuice/honey
Prevention
- Store medicines, cleaning detergents, mosquito repellants and paints carefully
- Keep all potentially poisonous substances out of children's reach
- Label the poisons in your house
- Avoid keeping poisonous plants in or around house
- Take care while eating products such as berries, roots or mushrooms
- Teach children the need to exercise caution
