Posted by Greg Atwood on March 17, 2014 · 7 Comments
Keeping your children safe, this is the goal of every parent. We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential but with over 300 children a day in the United States ages 0 to 19 being treated in emergency departments, and two children dying, as a result of being poisoned, the concerns of children and accidental poisonings are more prevalent than ever. These concerns are always the topic of extended discussion during our training classes both here at the fire department and in our community training classes and come down 3 main points.
- Precautions
- Identification
- Action
1. PRECAUTIONS.
Taking the steps before something bad happens is always the first step in any plan to keep children safe. Children are naturally curious and don’t yet know the dangers involved with chemicals and may easily confuse a glass cleaner or floor cleaner with their favorite drinks as well as confusing medicines and pills for candy. Properly Storing and locking away chemicals and medicines in special child safe storage containers is one of the best ways to keep naturally curious children away from these dangers. Along with securing chemicals, knowing who to call in an emergency is key as well. Placing emergency numbers around all phones and in all cell phones is a great precaution to take as well. 9-1-1 is always an easy number to remember but placing the number for the national poison control centers 800-222-1222 and any other numbers and information is advised as well.
2. IDENTIFICATION.
Identifying the signs and symptoms of a child that has a definite or suspected poison ingestion are of the upmost importance. Some of the signs of poisoning: Besides finding an open container or bottle, look for these signs if you suspect your child has swallowed something dangerous:
- Burns or redness around the mouth and lips (a sign your child drank something caustic)
- Breath that smells like chemicals
- Burns, stains, and smells on your child, her clothes, or elsewhere in the house
- Vomiting, difficulty breathing, sleepiness, confusion, or other strange behavior
- Drowsiness, Dizziness, or weakness
- Breathing problems
- Rashes
- Blue Lips or Skin ( cyanosis )
3. ACTION.
If your child is awake and stable:
- Remain Calm.
- Don’t give ipecac syrup or try to make them throw up — doctors say this can do more harm to your little one. Instead, call the poison-control center at 800-222-1222
- Tell the person who answers as much information as you know: What you think your child swallowed, when, and how much. (It helps if you have the bottle that contains the poisonous substance.) Then follow instructions on what to do.
- If the poison-control expert tells you to go to the ER and you have the substance container, then take that with you to show the ER doctor exactly what your child ingested. Calling 9-1-1 is recommended in an emergency, driving to the ER is not recommended in an emergency due to the lack of focus on the road and the increased possibility of accidents.
If your child is unconscious and not breathing:
- Call 9-1-1 and give the information requested
- Start CPR and wait for Emergency response.
- Do NOT attempt to drive to the ER.
There is no way to prevent every possible scenario, but it is possible to be prepared in case of an emergency and as always, a little preparation goes a long way.
Be Safe
Greg
I keep most of my pills in a safe but I have to take various meds twice a day and I just can’t get to a safe every time so we’re constantly stressing how important it is that the kids stay away.
Thank you for passing this on!