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# Poison | |
## For most poisons: | |
Quickly flush the poison out by drinking large amounts of water. | |
Taking activated charcoal will help remove the poison through | |
elimination later in stool. If you know the specific poison, see the | |
charts below for information on what to do. | |
* For an adult: Give 50 to 100 grams activated charcoal mixed with | |
water. | |
* For a child: Estimate how much the child weighs and give 1 gram | |
activated charcoal per kilogram of weight, mixed with water. | |
medicines for poisoning | |
Activated charcoal is an inexpensive and very helpful remedy to keep | |
in your medicine supply. | |
Do not give water, charcoal, or anything else to swallow to someone | |
who cannot breathe well or is losing consciousness. Remember: | |
maintaining breathing is always most important. | |
Vomiting is not usually helpful for poisoning, and it can be | |
dangerous. Someone who has swallowed corrosive chemicals like acids | |
or lye, or gasoline, kerosene, or turpentine, or who is having | |
trouble breathing should never try to vomit up the poison. | |
If you do try to vomit, do so as soon as possible, within the first | |
few hours. To encourage vomiting, touch the back of the throat with | |
a finger or swallow a spoonful of salt. | |
## Prevention | |
Keep all poisons out of the reach of children | |
Poisoning is preventable. Label all poisons and medicines clearly. | |
Keep them out of the reach of children in high or locked cabinets. | |
Never use empty poison containers for food or drink even if you clean | |
them first. Likewise never put poisons in bottles or containers made | |
to be used for food or drink. | |
Poison is a common method people use to kill or harm themselves. | |
Locking away poisons, guns, and other potentially deadly materials is | |
a surprisingly effective way to prevent suicide deaths. For more on | |
how to help someone who wants to kill himself, see Mental Health | |
Emergency. | |
Mental Health Emergency | |
# CHEMICAL POISONING | |
## Corrosives | |
Corrosives | |
Acids or bases. These chemicals burn the inside of the body. | |
Types of chemicals: | |
* Ammonia | |
* Batteries | |
* Acids | |
* Drain cleaner | |
* Caustic soda | |
* Lye | |
Signs of poisoning: | |
* Extra saliva. | |
* Pain in mouth, throat, chest, stomach, or back. | |
* Vomiting. | |
* Difficulty swallowing. | |
What to do: | |
* *Do not try to vomit.* | |
* Activated charcoal is of little use. | |
* Give as much water as you can. Get help. | |
## Hydrocarbons | |
Hydrocarbons | |
These are most dangerous if breathed into the lungs. | |
Types of chemicals: | |
* Gasoline | |
* Turpentine | |
* Paint thinner | |
* Kerosene | |
* Phenol | |
* Carbolic acid | |
* Camphor | |
* Pine oil | |
Signs of poisoning: | |
* Difficulty breathing. | |
* Coughing, choking, gagging. | |
* Fever. | |
* Seizures or loss of consciousness (passing out). | |
* The breath may smell like the poison. | |
What to do: | |
* Do not try to vomit. | |
* not give activated charcoal. | |
* Give a lot of water. | |
* Wash hydrocarbons off skin and hair and take off any contaminated | |
clothes. | |
* Give help with breathing if needed and watch the person's | |
breathing for 2 days. | |
* Get help | |
breathing | |
## Cyanide | |
Cyanide | |
Indoor fires can cause you to breathe cyanide that was in the burning | |
materials. You may smell bitter almond in smoke that has cyanide in | |
it. | |
Types of chemicals: | |
Gets into air or water from use in: mining, factory work, animal hide | |
hair removal (tanning). | |
Signs of poisoning: | |
* Breathing problems. | |
* Headache, confusion, and seizures. | |
* There can be long lasting damage to the brain. | |
What to do: | |
* Do not try to vomit. | |
* Watch for breathing problems, and try to restart the heart if it | |
stops. | |
* Using a paper mask when beginning rescue breathing prevents the | |
cyanide from passing to you. | |
* Give lots of water. | |
* Can be treated with sodium nitrite followed by sodium thiosulfate. | |
* Hydroxocobalamin is also used. | |
no heartbeat | |
medicines for poisoning | |
## Organophosphates | |
Organophosphates | |
These chemicals can stop breathing or cause other whole-body problems. | |
Types of chemicals: | |
Found in certain pesticides including: | |
* malathion | |
* parathion | |
Signs of poisoning: | |
* Slowing pulse, muscle weakness, breathing problems. | |
* Runny nose, crying, drooling. | |
* Seizures | |
* The breath may smell like fuel or garlic. | |
* Life-threatening problems can happen days after this poison is | |
taken, and long-term nerve problems can happen weeks after. | |
What to do: | |
* Watch for breathing problems and give rescue breathing if needed. | |
* Atropine is an antidote. | |
* Give activated charcoal if it has been less than 1 hour since the | |
poisoning. | |
* Wash skin right away and throw out contaminated clothes. | |
* Treat seizures with diazepam. | |
medicines for poisoning | |
medicines for anxiety | |
## Herbicides | |
Herbicides | |
Can be absorbed through the skin, by breathing it in, or most | |
dangerously, by swallowing. | |
Types of chemicals: | |
* Paraquat (Gramoxon, Cyclone, Herbikill, Dextron, and many other | |
brand names) | |
* Glyphosate (Roundup, Touchdown, other brand names) | |
Signs of poisoning: | |
* Breathing problems (can happen days after). | |
* Mouth pain. | |
* Red or brown urine, or little or no urine (a sign that the kidney | |
is failing--very dangerous). | |
* Large quantities can cause burns in the mouth and throat, stomach | |
pain, and breathing problems. | |
What to do: | |
* Watch for breathing problems and give rescue breathing if needed. | |
* Give activated charcoal. | |
* Get help. | |
medicines for poisoning | |
# POISONING WITH MEDICINES AND OTHER DRUGS | |
## Iron | |
Iron | |
An overdose damages the stomach and intestines. | |
Types of Drugs: | |
* Ferrous sulfate | |
* Ferrous gluconate | |
* Prenatal vitamins | |
* Multivitamin pills or syrup | |
Signs of overdose: | |
* Pain, vomit or bloody vomit, diarrhea, confusion. | |
* Shock immediately or up to 2 days later. | |
What to do: | |
* Immediate vomiting may help | |
* Give lots and lots of water. | |
* Activated charcoal is not helpful | |
* Deferoxamine is an antidote. | |
* Watch for breathing problems. | |
medicines for poisoning | |
## Paracetamol | |
Paracetamol | |
An overdose is poisonous to the liver. | |
Types of Drugs: | |
* Acetaminophen (Panadol, Tylenol, Crocin, and other brand names) | |
* Many combination cold medicines and pain medicines (read the | |
label) | |
Signs of overdose: | |
* Nausea, sweating, pale skin, tiredness. | |
* Later there may be liver pain (right upper belly) jaundice, | |
confusion, or bloody urine. | |
What to do: | |
* If you can get the person to vomit right away it may be of some | |
help. | |
* Give activated charcoal and lots of water. | |
* Acetylcysteine is an antidote. | |
medicines for poisoning | |
## Opioid medicines and drugs | |
An overdose can cause the person to stop breathing. | |
Types of Drugs: | |
* Morphine | |
* Heroin | |
* Fentanyl | |
* Methadone | |
* Opium | |
* Oxycodone | |
* Codeine | |
* Other strong pain medicines | |
Signs of overdose: | |
* Slow thinking, slow reactions, slow, shallow or stopped breathing. | |
What to do: | |
* If the person is breathing fewer than 12 breaths a minute give | |
rescue breathing. | |
* Naloxone is an antidote. | |
* Do not let the person drink or swallow until she is breathing | |
well. | |
rescue breathing | |
medicines for poisoning | |
## Alcohol | |
Alcohol | |
An overdose can cause the person to stop breathing. | |
Signs of overdose: | |
* Vomiting. | |
* Confusion. | |
* Seizures. | |
* Slow or irregular breathing. | |
* Loss of consciousness. | |
* Confusion, changes in consciousness, irregular breathing, and | |
feeling or looking ill could also be signs of a diabetic emergency. | |
diabetic emergency | |
What to do: | |
* Monitor the person's breathing and give rescue breathing if | |
necessary. | |
* Turn him on his side to prevent choking if he vomits. | |
* Keep the person warm. | |
* If the person is able to drink, give rehydration drink. | |
rehydration link | |
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