Poisoning
You can read about preventing more accidents to children at home from the NHS here – baby and toddler safety.
Recognition
- Nausea and sickness
- Diarrhoea
- Stomach pain
- Drowsiness, dizziness or weakness
- High temperature
- Shivering
- Loss of appetite
- Headache
- Irritability
- Breathing difficulties
- Salivating
- Rash
- Blue lips and skin
- Burns around the nose or mouth
- Double or blurred vision
- Confusion
- Seizures
- Loss of consciousness
Treatment
- Being poisoned can be life-threatening. If someone has been poisoned, do not try to treat them yourself – seek medical help immediately
- If they’re showing signs of being seriously ill, call 999/112 to request an ambulance or take them to your local A&E department. Provide as much information as possible about the substance
- Call NHS 111 for advice if a person who’s been poisoned does not appear to be seriously ill
- Keep yourself safe. Make sure you are protected from the poison before approaching.
- Wear PPE such as gloves if necessary
- Wash any corrosive substance away with water, if possible and follow the treatment for burns
- Do not encourage vomiting if they have ingested a poison as this can burn their airway a second time on the way back up.
- Get the child to rinse their mouth and then give small sips of milk or water
- If the child becomes unconscious, check Airway and Breathing and place them in the recovery position
- If the child stops breathing, start CPR. Use a face shield to protect yourself.
- Move the child to fresh air away from the poisonous substance if applicable
- Treat any burns
Do not shout at a child who you suspect has swallowed a poison as they are not likely to tell you what they have taken if they feel threatened. Try to stay calm.
How to help the ambulance crew
- Give them containers or information about the substances
- Find out how much has been taken if ingested
- Find out when it was taken
- Keep vomit samples to be analysed
Where to find specific advice of non-corrosive substances;
- On the containers of packaging
- On ‘COSHH’ safety data sheets
- From an NHS helpline- 111
- From the ambulance department
Activity
Sort the objects below into the correct category.
Below you will find posters available to download –
- Keep your child safe in the home
- Keep your child safe in the garden