Poisoning from household cleaning agents, poisonous fruit, noxious fumes, and other sources causes thousands of victims to be hospitalized every year. Knowing how to deal with poisoning quickly and effectively plays an important role in saving the lives of victims. Read this article so you know what to do to help someone with poisoning.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Coping With Ingested Poison
Step 1. Call the emergency department or poisoning emergency telephone number immediately
Ingested poison can lead to serious complications if not treated medically. Seek help immediately if you suspect someone has swallowed poison. Try to determine the cause of poisoning, and prepare data on the age and weight of the victim, then tell the officer who answered the phone.
- Look for pills, herbs, or berries, mouth sores, etc. Knowing the source of the poisoning is very important for the next treatment step.
- If the victim is unconscious or shows severe symptoms, seek medical attention immediately, do not wait for help to arrive.
- If the substance swallowed by the victim is unknown, seek medical attention immediately, regardless of the symptoms.
- If the victim has recently ingested a toxic substance, and you are not sure if this is a serious problem, call the poison emergency telephone number at (021) 4250767 or (021) 4227875. The person who answers the poisoning emergency telephone number can provide advice on how to help the person poisoning victims and whether you need to take them to the hospital.
Step 2. Open the victim's airway
Make sure that no more material remains in the victim's mouth or airway if he or she swallows household cleaning products, pills, or other substances. Wrap a towel in your hand. Open the victim's mouth and clean the remaining material with a towel.
- If the victim vomits, continue to monitor the airway and keep the mouth parts clean.
- If it is not known exactly what the victim has swallowed, take a dirty towel that has vomited on it to the hospital for examination.
Step 3. Check the victim's breathing and pulse
Check if the victim is still breathing, check the airway, and check for a pulse. If you can't feel the flow of breath or pulse, give CPR immediately.
- Provide CPR for children if the victim is a child.
- For infants, give CPR for infants or toddlers.
Step 4. Keep the victim comfortable
Toxins in the body can trigger seizures, so you should take steps to prevent injury. Lay the victim on his side in a comfortable place, and place a pillow under his head for support. Loosen belts or tight clothing. Remove any jewelry or objects that hinder his movement.
- Make sure that the victim is not lying on his back; because if he vomits in this position, he can choke.
- Continue monitoring the victim's breathing and pulse, administering CPR if needed until medical help arrives.
Method 2 of 3: Coping With Inhaled Poison
Step 1. Call the emergency department
Poisoning from inhaling noxious fumes can cause serious medical problems, so you should seek medical attention to treat them. Toxins in the form of smoke can also affect others around you, so don't try to deal with this situation alone.
Step 2. Immediately move away from the poisoning site
Inhaled poisons may come from smoke, vapors, or toxic gases. Move the victim and everyone in the vicinity to a place that is safe from this hazardous material. It's best if you go outside and stay away from places filled with toxic fumes.
- If you must rescue a victim from inside a building, hold your breath as you enter. Cover your mouth and nose with a damp cloth to filter the air.
- Some toxic gases such as carbon monoxide are odorless and cannot be detected except with special tools. Don't assume a room is safe just because you can't smell or see poison in it.
- If it is not possible to get the victim out, open doors and windows so fresh air can enter and toxic gases or fumes can escape.
- Do not light matches or flames, as some of the invisible gases are flammable.
Step 3. Check the victim's breathing and pulse
If you can't feel the flow of breath or pulse, give CPR immediately. Continue to check the victim's flow and pulse every 5 minutes until help arrives.
Step 4. Keep the victim comfortable until medical personnel arrive
Lay the victim on his side so he doesn't choke if he vomits. Provide padding under her head, and remove any tight clothing and jewelry she is wearing.
Method 3 of 3: Dealing with Poisons in Contact with Skin or Eyes
Step 1. Call the poisoning emergency telephone number if the victim is still conscious
That way, you can ask for specific advice on dealing with the victim. Keep talking to the poisoning emergency responder over the phone and follow any advice he or she gives you.
- If the victim's skin or eyes are exposed to a corrosive substance, have a bottle filled with the substance ready so you can explain it to the poison ivy emergency department.
- Some packages include information on how to handle if the material gets in contact with the skin, take that into account as well.
Step 2. Clean the rest of the material
If the poison is corrosive, remove the victim's clothing from the affected area. Throw away the clothes because they will not be able to be worn and can injure others. Make sure that neither you nor the victim will be exposed to the same material again.
Step 3. Rinse the affected area with lukewarm water
Run warm, lukewarm water over the skin, eyes, or other body parts affected by the poison for 15-20 minutes. If the victim still feels a burning sensation, continue to rinse the area until medical help arrives.
- If the victim's eyes are exposed to poison, ask him to blink often but not rub his eyes, as this can only make the damage worse.
- Do not use hot or cold water to rinse the affected body part.
Tips
- Remember, the main goal is to prevent poisoning from occurring. To prevent future poisoning, store all toxic materials with care and keep out of reach of children.
- Do not trigger the gag reflex unless you are advised to do so by medical personnel.
- Read the labels on the packaging of potentially toxic products before using them.
- Follow the directions on the medicine label when using or giving it to someone else.
- If possible, have the container or packaging label of the toxic material ready when calling for help. You may need to provide information about the poison.
- It's a good idea to take notes of poisonous plants around or in your garden, and include photos of them too, so you can identify poisonous flowers, or berries, etc.
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Keep a poisoning emergency phone number on your cell phone. The poisoning emergency telephone numbers are:
- Indonesian poisoning emergency telephone number: (021) 4250767 or (021) 4227875
- USA Poison Control Center (24 hours): 1-800-222-1222
- Canada: visit the NAPRA/ANORP website https://napra.org/pages/Practice_Resources/drug_information_resources.aspx?id=2140 for emergency telephone numbers in each province
- UK National Poisons Emergency: 0870 600 6266
- Australia (24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for all of Australia): 13 11 26
- New Zealand National Poisons Center (24 hours): 0800 764 766
- Do not give ipekak syrup. This procedure is no longer recommended to treat poisoning and can mask symptoms, or interfere with treatment options that would otherwise be effective. In addition, vomiting alone will not be able to remove toxins from the stomach.
Warning
- Never mix household cleaning agents and chemicals, as some combinations can give off toxic gases.
- Always call the emergency department regardless of the type of poisoning that occurs. Prompt and appropriate medical help is very important to overcome it.
- Never allow children to play with household cleaning products or medicines. Store all toxic materials out of reach of children in a safe place.
- Don't try to get the pill out of your baby's mouth, this can actually push the pill further down his throat.
