Poison prevention made easy
Where to call if exposed to poison
12:40 p.m. Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Hidden dangers lurk in your medicine cabinet and under your sinks in the form of medications and cleaning products, and it's not rare for individuals to fall ill because of exposure to these items.
The University of Kansas Hospital Poison Control Center received 30,000 phone calls in 2006, and 64 percent of those phone calls addressed reactions to medications. Children are especially vulnerable, said Daling McMoran, of the University of Kansas Hospital Poison Control Center.
There are four ways of exposure to chemicals or poisons: skin and eye, cuts or puncture wounds, eating or drinking or breathing it in.
Follow these tips to keep you and yours safe:
Medication
1) Never refer to medication as candy
2) Store out of reach / use safety locks
3) Never let a child go through purse
4) Use child proof lids for medicine bottles
Chemicals
1) Never let children handle chemicals
2) Never mix chemicals together
3) Wear protective clothing
4) Keep in original containers
5) Never store near food
And the American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents to not use the home remedy of IPACAC syrup. McMoran urges individuals to call before trying home remedies.
If exposure happens, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. The information you should have ready when you call include personal information, type of exposure, when happened, name of product and ingredients and symptoms.
The majority of poison calls have been treated at home, he said.
Poison control tips
- Always store medication and household products where children cannot see or reach them.
- Cabinets that contain chemicals and/or medications should have plastic cabinet locks on them.
- Adults and/or parents should never let children use or handle cleaning chemicals or lawn chemicals.
- Always read and follow the direction of labels on all medication or chemicals.
- When using cleanings chemicals, cleaners should never be mixed. Lots of cleaning chemicals that serve the same purpose some times contain different chemicals that do not mix.
- Always wear protective clothing as recommend by the label (gloves, goggles, mask, and any other equipment recommend.)
- Always keep chemicals in there original containers, never put chemicals in food containers or any other container.
- Never refer to medication as candy.
- Children should only take medication with the assistance of a trusted adult.
- Medication and vitamins should have child proof lids.
- Disposal of all old and/or unused chemicals at a proper and safe disposal facility.
- Never store household chemicals in the same place as you would store your food.
- Install a Carbon Monoxied detector and check it often.
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