What to do If Someone Comes in Contact with a Poisonous Substance?

There are many substances in our homes which if taken accidentally can prove to be poisonous. Children are more prone to such accidents.

You need to act fast in such situations. Call your doctor, poison control rooms or medical emergency service immediately. Be prepared to give them the information regarding the patient like- age, kind of poison absorbed, treatment being given, if any and your exact location. Try to find the poison as precisely as possible. The treatment will depend on the kind of poison swallowed.

In case of over dose of medicine or part of a plant, try diluting the poison by making the person drink two glasses of water and then ask him to vomit. However, do not try to make the person vomit if they have consumed a petroleum product. You can identify by smell. In such cases, you are not supposed to do anything but get the person to the hospital as soon as possible. Don’t try to give anything except water, that also if advised by the medical service. Vomiting can cause damage to the lungs and esophagus. Try to avoid the feeling of nausea by loosening clothes.

Sometimes the poison can be absorbed through the skin. Remove the effected clothes and try to wash that area for at least twenty minutes in running water. People who go for tracking in woods and hills should cover their body properly, wash the contacted area two to three times with a strong detergent. In case the person has inhaled poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, the fumes from paint and solvents or vapors from spray cans then get the victim into fresh air immediately.

Most of the time poisoning occurs due to ignorance. People are not aware of the toxicity of the substance. Consumption in access of alcohol, tobacco, cosmetics and even certain plants used for landscaping can cause poisoning.