Tips for Poison Prevention and Treatment Each year, approximately 2.4 million people – more than half under age 6 – swallow or have contact with a poisonous substance. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some important tips to prevent and to treat exposures to poison. How to Poison Proof Your Home: Most poisonings occur when parents or caregivers are home but not paying attention. The most dangerous potential poisons are medicines, cleaning products, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, pesticides, furniture polish, gasoline, kerosene and lamp oil. Be especially vigilant when there is a change in routine. Holidays, visits to and from grandparents’ homes, and other special events may bring greater risk of poisoning if the usual safeguards are defeated or not in place. Store medicine, cleaning and laundry products, paints/varnishes and pesticides in their original packaging in locked cabinets or containers, out of sight and reach of children. Safety latches that automatically lock when you close a cabinet door can help to keep children away from dangerous products, but there is always a chance the device will malfunction. The safest place to store poisonous products is somewhere a child cant reach. Purchase and keep all medicines in containers with safety caps. Discard unused medication. Never refer to medicine as “candy” or another appealing name. Check the label each time you give a child medicine to ensure proper dosage. For liquid medicines, use the dosing device that came with the medicine. Never place poisonous products in food or drink containers. Keep coal, wood or kerosene stoves in safe working order. Maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Secure remote controls, key fobs, greeting cards, and musical children’s books. These and other devices may contain small button-cell batteries that can cause injury if ingested.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:17:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015