Mind and Body: Household items can pose risks
Published 9:26 am Thursday, March 14, 2019
By Jim Cowan
Clark County Health Department Preparedness Coordinator
Whether it is a curious toddler exploring his world by putting things in his mouth, or a disoriented senior family member who cannot remember what medication she took or when, it is important to recognize more than 90 percent of all poisonings occur at home.
And poisonings, including the inadvertent consumption of drugs or chemicals, the excessive use of a drug, and the exposure to environmental substances, are the leading cause of unintentional deaths. This surpasses even motor vehicle accidents.
It is for that reason March 17-23 was designated National Poison Prevention Week. This provides the opportunity to review the best practices for responding to and preventing common poisoning incidents.
Probably the most important thing to remember is if you or someone you think may have been poisoned, call the toll-free Poison Help line immediately at 1-800-222-1222. This connects you to a poison expert, who can give you advice first and perhaps save a trip to the emergency room.
If the person is not breathing, though, call 911.
Otherwise, you should not panic. Remember not all medicines, chemicals or household products are poisonous. And not all contact with poisons results in poisoning.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) identifies the following first steps on their Poison Help website (https://poisonhelp.hrsa.gov).
— If the person has inhaled poison, get him or her to fresh air immediately.
— If the person has poison on the skin, remove any clothing the poison has touched and rinse with running water for 15 to 20 minutes.
— If the person has poison in the eyes, again, rinse the eyes with running water or 15 to 20 minutes.
— Do not use activated charcoal when you think some one may have been poisoned.
When you think someone has been poisoned, do not wait for signs of poisoning before calling the Poison Help line. When you do call the help line, be sure to stay calm and try to have the container of the suspected poison. The label will have important information.
HRSA advises you should be ready to give the following information to the expert on the phone:
— The exposed person’s age and weight
— Known health conditions or problems
— The product involved
— How the product contacted the person (e.g. by mouth, by inhaling, through the skin, or through the eyes.)
— How long ago the poison contacted the person
— What first aid has been provided
— Whether the person has vomited
— The exact location of the person and how long it would take to get to a hospital.
Because the majority of all poisonings occur at home, there are several practices that can be implemented to reduce the chances of this happening:
— Keep all medicines in their original containers, properly labeled, and stored appropriately.
— Have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home, near bedrooms and close to furnaces.
— Keep all household products in their original containers, and do not use food containers (e.g. cups, and bottles) to store these products.
— Keep all laundry products locked up, high, and out of the reach of children. This is especially important since so many detergent pods are bright and colorful, looking like candy.
— Keep antifreeze and all chemicals and household products in their original containers.
—Because art products are mixtures of chemicals, they can be very dangerous if not used correctly.
Make sure your children use the art products according to the directions.
When working with art products, be sure to practice the following safety tips.
— Keep food and drinks out of the working area.
— Wash skin after contact with art products.
— Clean equipment.
— Wipe tables, desks, and counters.
— And as with others, keep art products in their original containers.
To ensure the food we eat does not cause poisoning, these best practices should be followed:
— Wash both hands and counters before preparing all food.
— Store food at the proper temperatures. Refrigerated foods should not be left out at temperatures above 40 degrees F (5 degrees C).
— Use only clean utensils for cooking and serving.
— Though enjoying nature outdoors can afford many healthy pastime activities, the potential for poisoning exists there as well. Anyone engaging in these pursuits should be aware of the following safety tips.
— Know what poisonous snakes live in your area and wear proper attire (boots, etc.) when hiking.
— Check the labels of any insect repellant you might use. Most contain DEET, which can be poisonous in large amounts. There are a number of alternative non-DEET repellants.
— Be sure that you are able to identify poisonous mushrooms and plants.
— When trying to avoid poison ivy, remember “Leaflets of three, let it be.” (i.e. Don’t touch.)
For more information regarding poison prevention, you may go online to https://poisonhelp.hrsa.gov. For any questions regarding this article, you may contact Jim Cowan at the Clark County Health Department, Environmental Office, (859) 385-4453, or by email at jamesm.cowan@ky.gov.