|
According to the National Poison Information Centre at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, over 40 per cent of poisoning cases are due to consumption of household insecticides and
rodenticides. The Centre received 823 calls in the period March 1999- March 2000. Of these, 380 cases related to mosquito repellents, phenyl and other insecticides, commonly used in homes. Nearly 42 per cent cases were accidental in nature. In the rest, poison was deliberately taken. The second most common cause of poisoning was overdose of drugs, mainly analgesics, anti-histamines and cardio-vascular drugs. Kerosene, paints and agricultural pesticides were other causes of poisoning.
How to keep these 'ordinary looking' poisons at a safe distance from your family members, especially children? You can make your home poison-proof. It is not very difficult. One tablet of some medicines can wreak havoc in or kill a child. Bathrooms with medicines, kitchens with cleaning products, even cigarette butts can be toxic to kids. Keep cabinets containing potentially poisonous items under lock and key. Buy the least hazardous products that will serve your purpose. When you buy such products look for the safest ones for children. Buy only as much as you need of items such as petrol, kerosene and paint thinners and get rid of what you don't use. Leftovers are often kept on hand indefinitely. Never transfer these substances to other containers. People often use cups, soft-drink bottles, or milk cartons to store leftover paint thinner or turpentine. This is dangerous because children associate cups and bottles with food and drink.
 Lead has been long recognized as a toxic substance and adverse health effects can result from exposure to lead over months or years. Improperly fired or formulated glazes on ceramic ware can allow lead to leach into food or drink. Alcohol, not too uncommon in our homes, can cause drunkenness as well as serious poisoning in young children. They are more sensitive to the toxic effects of alcohol. Alcohol-laced products, such as some mouthwashes, after shaves or colognes, can cause the same problems. How can you tell if your child has ingested something poisonous?
Most poisons, with the exception of perhaps lead, work fairly quickly. When the child is otherwise well and in a space of hours develops any unusual or new symptoms, think of poisoning. Other signs can be burns around the lips or mouth, stains of the substance around the child's mouth or smell in a child's breath. Suspect possible poisoning if you find an opened or spilled bottle of pills. If you suspect poisoning, remain calm. For medicines, call your physician. For household chemical ingestion, follow first-aid instructions on the label, and then call your doctor. When you call, tell them your child's age, height and weight, existing health conditions, as much as you know about the substance involved, the exposure route (swallowed? inhaled? splashed in the eyes?).
 If your child has vomited or if you know what substance the child has ingested, take the remaining solution or bottle with you to the doctor or the medical centre. Do not induce vomiting; it can cause
more problems if the swallowed substance is corrosive in nature. Some medical experts also recommend that parents keep activated charcoal on hand as well. Activated charcoal absorbs poison, preventing it from spreading throughout the body. One advantage of activated charcoal is that it can be effective for a considerable time after the poison is
swallowed.
However, antidotes should only be used on conscious poison victims. An unconscious victim should always be treated by professionals.
Remember to call your doctor first before giving your child any at-home antidote. Don't try to treat the child yourself, this might cause more harm and may be unnecessary. Take the child immediately to
your doctor or hospital, whichever is quicker. Remember to take, if possible, a sample of whatever you think the child has swallowed or the container it came in.
Most people regard their home as a safe haven, a calm oasis in an often-stormy world. A little care and precaution can ensure it is so.
|
