Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Poisoning first aid

Table of Contents

First Aid

Seek immediate medical help.

For poisoning by swallowing:

  1. Check and monitor the person's airway, breathing, and pulse. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.
  2. Try to make sure that the person has indeed been poisoned. It may be hard to tell. Some signs include chemical-smelling breath, burns around the mouth, difficulty breathing, vomiting, or unusual odors on the person. If possible, identify the poison.
  3. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional.
  4. If the person vomits, clear the person's airway. Wrap a cloth around your fingers before cleaning out the mouth and throat. If the person has been sick from a plant part, save the vomit. It may help experts identify what medicine can be used to help reverse the poisoning.
  5. If the person starts having convulsions, give convulsion first aid.
  6. Keep the person comfortable. The person should be rolled onto the left side, and remain there while getting or waiting for medical help.
  7. If the poison has spilled on the person's clothes, remove the clothing and flush the skin with water.

For inhalation poisoning:

  1. Call for emergency help. Never attempt to rescue a person without notifying others first.
  2. If it is safe to do so, rescue the person from the danger of the gas, fumes, or smoke. Open windows and doors to remove the fumes.
  3. Take several deep breaths of fresh air, and then hold your breath as you go in. Hold a wet cloth over your nose and mouth.
  4. Do not light a match or use a lighter because some gases can catch fire.
  5. After rescuing the person from danger, check and monitor the person's airway, breathing, and pulse. If necessary, begin rescue breathing and CPR.
  6. If necessary, perform first aid for eye injuries (eye emergencies) or convulsions ( convulsion first aid).
  7. If the person vomits, clear the person's airway. Wrap a cloth around your fingers before cleaning out the mouth and throat.
  8. Even if the person seems perfectly fine, get medical help.

Do Not
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Review Date: 02/02/2011
Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)