A poison can be described as any substance (solid,liquid or gas) that causes damage when it enters the body in sufficient quantity.
A poison can enter the body in 4 ways, it can be:
Ingested - swallowed.
Inhaled - breathed in, entering the blood stream very quickly as it passes through the lungs.
Absorbed - through the skin.
A poison can either be:
- Corrosive - such as acids, bleach, dishwasher powder, ammonia or petrol
- Non-corrosive - such as tablets, drugs, alcohol, plants or perfumes.
Treatment
For a corrosive substance:
Don’t endanger yourself- make sure it’s safe to help.
Dilute the substance or wash it away if possible.
- Substances on the skin - wash away with water
- Swallowed substances - get the child to rinse out their mouth, then give frequent sips of milk or water.
Call 999/112 for emergency help.
Give information about the poison if possible and take advice from the ambulance operator.
If the child becomes unconscious - open the airway and check for breathing. Resuscitate if necessary. If the child is breathing, place them in recovery position, then call 999/112.
NEVER make the child vomit. This may put the airway in danger!
For a non-corrosive substance:
Call 999/112 for emergency help.
Give information about the poison if possible. Take advice from the ambulance operator.
If the child becomes unconscious - open the airway and check for breathing. Resuscitate if necessary. If the child is breathing, place them in recovery position, then call 999/112.
DO NOT shout at the child! They won’t tell you what have taken if they feel threatened!
Inhalation of smoke, fumes or other substances:
Move the child into fresh air if possible.
Check airway and breathing and resuscitate if necessary.
If the child is unconscious - place them in the recovery position.
Call 999/112 for emergency help.
If the child is conscious and has difficulty breathing, an upright position may help.
Check for and treat any burns.
Carefully monitor airway and breathing and resuscitate if necessary.
It helps the paramedics if you:
Pass on containers or other information about the substance.
Find out how much has been taken.
Find out when it was taken.
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