Emergency Action for POISONING
Inhaled Poison
Immediately get the person to fresh air. Avoid breathing fumes. Open doors and windows
wide. If victim is not breathing, start artificial respiration.
Poison on the Skin
Remove contaminated clothing and flood skin with water for 10 minutes. Then wash gently
with soap and water and rinse.
Poison in the Eye
Flood the eye with lukewarm (not hot) water poured from a large glass 2 or 3 inches from
the eye. Repeat for 15 minutes. Have patient blink as much as possible while flooding the
eye. Do not force the eyelid open.
Swallowed Poison
Unless patient is unconscious, having convulsions, or cannot swallow - give a glass (2 to
8 ounces of water immediately) - then call for professional advice about whether you
should make the patient vomit or not.
ALWAYS KEEP ON HAND AT HOME a one ounce bottle of SYRUP OF IPECAC for
each child or grandchild in the home.
Remember DO NOT give SYRUP OF IPECAC unless instructed to do so by the Poison Center.
POISONS COME IN MANY FORMS.
To the average two-year-old, that plastic jug of drain cleaner under your sink looks exactly like that cold gallon of milk you pull out of the fridge five times a day. Being a typical toddler, what is the first thing he's going to do with whatever he gets his hands on? That's right, taste it. So, it is vitally important that every potentially poisonous substance in your home gets locked up or stored out of sight and out of reach of curious hands.
Of course, even grown-ups may not realize that some of the most commonly used things in your home - like, perfume, eye drops, furniture polish and laundry soap - can be poisonous. Accidental poisonings can happen not just by swallowing something poisonous, but also by unexpected means, like allergic reactions to medications, overexposure to fumes or even spilling something toxic on your clothes.
Every year, all over Texas, there are thousands of poisoning incidents that result in frightened families, ambulance trips and emergency room visits. However, eighty-five percent of poisonings can be treated safely at home with a toll-free call to The Poison Experts at the West Texas Regional Poison Center 1-800-222-1222.
It's important that you become familiar with the list in this brochure. Equally important, you need to know how to reach a poison expert who is professionally trained to answer your questions. Our staff includes pharmacists, registered nurses and physicians who can immediately access the very latest information from our network data base.
Post the number for The Poison Experts at the Texas Poison Center Network by every
phone in your house. If you have a question, or in case of emergency, you'll get the
expert help you need right away.
You can prevent accidental poisonings. Here's how.
 | Store potentially harmful products and medications out of sight, out of reach or best of all, locked up. |
| Read and heed precautionary labels on the products you buy. |
| Store products only in their original containers. When empty, rinse and discard. Never use food or drink containers to store harmful substances! |
| Always put products away immediately after use. Never leave children alone with household products. |
| Store household products and medicines separately. |
| Never call medicine "candy". Remember that children love to imitate. Don't take medicine in front of your child. |
| Use child-resistant caps. Remember that these caps are not child-proof. |
| Teach your child to ask you first before eating or drinking anything given to them by anyone other than parents or caregivers. |
| Remember that plants and flowers can be poisonous. Make a list of what's in your home and garden (both common and scientific names) and check them out. |
TO VIEW A LIST OF POISONOUS PRODUCTS IN YOUR HOME, CLICK HERE!