Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
Seek immediate medical help. Do NOT make a person throw up unless told to do so by poison control or a health care professional.
Immediately give the person water or milk, unless instructed otherwise by a health care provider. Do NOT give water or milk if the patient is having symptoms (such as vomiting, seizures, or a decreased level of alertness) that make it hard to swallow.
Before Calling Emergency
Determine the following information:
- Patient's age, weight, and condition
- Name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
- Time it was swallowed
- Amount swallowed
Poison Control, or a local emergency number
The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.
This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.
See:
What to expect at the emergency room
The health care provider will measure and monitor the patient's vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. The patient may receive:
- Activated charcoal
- Breathing support
- Dialysis
- Fluids through a vein (by IV)
- Laxative
- Medication to treat the effects of the poison
- Tube from the mouth into the stomach to wash out the stomach (
gastric lavage )
Expectations (prognosis)
Aftershave poisoning usually occurs in small children. It may also occur in persons with alcoholism, who may drink the product when other alcohol runs out.
The outcome depends on how much is swallowed. This poisoning is not usually deadly. The range of illness may vary from a condition similar to being drunk to coma, seizures, and severe lung difficulties. A product with more isopropyl alcohol may potentially cause a more serious illness.
Previous Section
Review Date: 01/26/2010
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason
Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. 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)
