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ACCIDENTAL POISONING

Topic

General Health Topics

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OVERVIEW 

  • Accidental swallowing of non-food items is one of the main causes of accidental poisoning in babies and children

  • Children under the age of 6 account for nearly half of the reported cases 

  • Accidental poisoning can be deadly 


COMMON HOUSEHOLD ITEMS THAT CAUSE ACCIDENTAL POISONING & THEIR IMPACT

Item

Example

Health Impact

Magnets

Common magnets including pin magnets or refrigerator magnets

Magnets can:

  • become lodged in the intestine

  • cause a closed-loop obstruction

  • contain rare earth metals

Batteries

Button batteries or other batteries

Batteries can:

  • get stuck in the digestive system

  • quickly cause electric burns in the body

Laundry Detergents

Laundry powder, liquid, or pods

Laundry detergents can cause:

  • airway obstruction

  • corrosive effects on the digestive system

 Cleaning Products

Cleaning products or chemicals that are stored in containers that resemble food packaging:

Hydrogen peroxide (may be mistaken for water)

Oils and solvents (scented)

Household products can cause:

  • vomiting

  • gas embolism

  • gastrointestinal and central nervous system damage

Gas embolism is when a bubble of air or gas becomes trapped in a blood vessel and blocks the blood supply to organs

Pills - Long -Acting Opioid Narcotics

Buprenorphine pills or gel

A single pill can be deadly

FOR INCREASED SAFETY:

  • Use child-resistant packaging

  • Label products to avoid accidentally mistaking non-food items for food

  • Keep potentially hazardous items out of children’s reach

  • Keep Narcan at home to help reverse life-threatening opioid exposures: Visit www.Narcan.com


IF ACCIDENTAL POISONING HAPPENS:

  • Call 911 for medical help right away

  • IMPORTANT: For opioid exposures, call 911 and use Narcan nasal spray to help until the ambulance arrives Narcan is safe to use even if opioids are not present

  • Know the emergency symptoms: seizure, loss of consciousness and trouble breathing

  • Surgery for removal the hazardous item may be needed

Sources:

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