Home Poison Safety
September 20, 2005

Annually, there are more than one million reported poison exposures among children age 6 and under, with most occurring in children 2 to 3 years old. These incidents account for more than half of all poison exposures in the U.S.

Poison Safety Tips:

• Buy products with child-resistant caps (and remember that this type of cap will be more difficult, but not impossible, for a child to open). Tightly close caps after each use.
• Keep potential poisons (including medicine, cleaning products, perfume and fingernail polish remover) out of sight in cabinets with child-resistant latches.
• Be careful when using medicines and cleaners. Before answering the phone or doorbell, close containers and put them out of children’s reach. Never leave children alone with a poisonous product. Avoid taking medicine in front of children (and never refer to medication as candy) children mimic the behavior of adults.
• Keep products in their original containers so there can be no mistaking the contents.
• Old medicines often stop working, but they can still poison children. Look for the expiration date on the bottle or tube. If it’s too old to work right, throw it out!
• Clean up after working around the house, car and garden. Properly dispose of leftover cleaners, sprays and kerosene right away. Don’t leave them out for children to find and taste.
• Keep plants out of reach. Learn which indoor and outdoor plants are poisonous (such as dieffenbachia, philodendron and pothos) and either remove them or make them inaccessible.
• Have your heating system checked and serviced every year to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Educate yourself about other causes of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home. Consider installing carbon monoxide detectors in your home.
• Educate grandparents and other care givers about the dangers of possible poisoning. Ask them to take appropriate precautions if a visit from children is expected. Provide them with the numbers of the local poison control center and the children’s physician. If visitors are expected in your home, make sure suitcases are stored out of children’s reach. Remind visitors to take responsibility with their own medications.
• Learn and follow first aid procedures in case a poisoning does occur. Keep the phone numbers of your local poison control center and emergency medical service next to each phone. If you suspect someone has ingested poison, call a poison control center for instructions. Do NOT induce vomiting unless advised by the poison control center or physician, because this can often aggravate the poisoning or cause long-term damage. If a poisonous substance has contacted the skin or eyes, rinse the skin with running water for 15 minutes and remove any contaminated clothing. Irrigate eyes by holding the lids open and pouring cool water on the eyes for 15 minutes. Do not rub eyes or place the head directly under a faucet.

When calling the poison center, have the following information ready:

• Symptoms
• Name and phone number
• Age and weight of victim
• Name of product and ingredients
• Amount of product involved (overestimate rather than underestimate)
• Time of incident
• Any first aid measures already performed

If you have a poison emergency, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911 immediately.

To set up a media interview with a REMSA representative, please call Scott Walquist at 775.686.2116.

REMSA is a private, not-for-profit emergency medical services system serving northern Nevada. REMSA’s state-of-the-art 9-1-1 dispatch communications center is fully accredited, as are all emergency medical transport services of the company. REMSA provides quality patient care with no taxpayer support or other subsidies.

450 Edison Way Reno, Nevada 89502 (775)858-5700 Fax (775)858-5720