Accident Prevention: A Focus on Poisoning

It is one thing to teach you what to do in an emergency. It is even better if you can play some part in preventing the accident happening in the first place. Poisoning is a perfect case in point – mostly avoidable with a few simple safety measures. Read on for top tips on avoidance and what to do if you suspect accidental poisoning.

It is estimated that around 37,000 children under 14 go to hospital each year with suspected accidental poisoning - that is over 100 children per day. This will usually be from ingesting medicines, household chemicals and products or harmful plants. The vast majority of these children are under five years old.

The safe storage of medicines and cleaning substances within the house, garden area and car is the simplest way to avoid these.

Top Tips for avoiding accidental poisoning:

Medicine:
1. Keep substances in their original containers so that it is easier to know what is in them and warning labels are seen.
2. If you have a choice select child resistant caps – They may not stop a child from opening a container but they might slow them down. Do not rely on them for protection. There is evidence that children as young as 3 can remove them.
3. Keep substances out of reach and out of sight – bedside tables, handbags, a low shelf of the fridge and the homes of relatives and friends who are not as careful as you, are classic ways for children to access medicine.
4. Children will mimic your behaviour. Do not take medicine in front of them or play games where medicine is used as sweets.
5. Dispose of unused medicine safely – you can take it to your local pharmacy.
6. Consider elderly visitors - They will often have a supply of medicines and may not be as sensitive as you are when it comes to their storage.

Household Substances:
7. Consider what is harmful – it is not just the obvious things such as alcohol, detergent, beach, dishwasher powder or weed killer. Consider other everyday substances such as glue, essential oils, aerosols, perfume, nail varnish, tobacco and mouthwash.
8. If you have a choice select products with a bittering agent that makes it taste awful, and child resistant caps.
9. Keep substances in their original containers so that there is no confusion as to what they are. White spirits in an old lemonade bottle for example is asking for trouble.
10. Keep substances out of reach and out of sight in high cupboards with child resistant catches or behind padlocked sheds or garages - under the sink, near the toilet and garage shelves are classic ways to give children access to unsuitable substances.
11. Remember that products are in view when they are actually in use. Be vigilant. Put them away or take them with you if you are called out of the room.

Garden:
12. Most leaves/plants/grasses taste very bitter and as our sour taste buds are at the front of the mouth, your child will probably want to spit it out
13. Teach them to NEVER eat anything from the garden without showing it to you first.

Education and Awareness:
14. Whilst you may take every care to safe proof your house, consider the other houses your children go to? For example childminders, holiday homes, friends and grandparents. Talk to them about the tips listed above.
15. You will not always be there when your child is faced with a tempting but potentially poisonous substance. Teach your child about keeping safe to help them make the right decisions. This will need to be age appropriate but you can start at any age.

What to do if you suspect accidental poisoning

YOUR JOB IS TO…..
• Comfort your child and reassure them
• Identify the substance and keep the container or plant
• Seek advice

WHAT TO DO FIRST
• If they are very sleepy or unrousable call an ambulance
• DO NOT MAKE THEM SICK! Whatever it is, it is safer in their tummy—leave it there!
Some substances can burn and damage on their way down and then again on the way back up.
• Offer them a drink of water or milk but do not insist
• If their behaviour is normal seek advice: NHS Direct 0845 46 47

Common questions about poisoning

In our First Aid classes there are some questions which arise again and again. Here are the most common questions asked about poisoning:

1. What if a child eats something in the garden?
Most leaves/plants/grasses taste very bitter and as our sour taste buds are at the front of the mouth, the child will spit it out. DO NOT try and retrieve the object, as you will push it further back down. If you think the child has eaten something poisonous, keep a sample and call for advice to NHS Direct or go to A&E with the plant/berry/flower.

2. What do I do if a child drinks bleach or under-sink liquids?
Keep calm, as again, because the sour taste buds are at the front of the tongue, most children get only a taste and do not usually drink much. Reassure the child as they may be distressed. Drinking cold milk helps relieve the burning sensation. If you think they have drunk some liquid, take the bottle to your nearest A&E where they can then treat as necessary.

3. What do I do if a child takes some tablets?
Keep calm, do not make the child sick, keep the packaging and go to A&E where they will treat as recommended by the Poisons Reference Unit. If the child is sick, see if there are any tablets present and if possible take to A&E.

4. What if my child has drunk alcohol?
If you think they have consumed significant amounts and it is affecting their level of consciousness, take them to A&E. Do not make them sick, as they may inhale their vomit if they are not fully conscious. Remember if they are not responding then treat as unconscious and check for ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation), if all present keep in the recovery position and call for 999.

Information
A group who do a lot of work helping parents to understand how they can best avoid such accidents is the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT). We have used some of their statistics and advice in this article. Visit their website www.capt.org.uk

Click here to read real stories about accidental poisoning leading to visits to accident and emergency