POISONING.
DEFINITION
A Poison is any substance which when taken into the body in sufficient quantity is capable of injuring
health or destroying life either accidentally or intentionally and Poisoning is a condition caused by
introduction of a harmful substance into the body by injection, ingestion, inhalation or even through
skin contact.
ROUTES
Poisons get into the body by;
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Swallowing [ingestion]; swallowed poisons may enter circulatory system through walls of the
digestive tract.
Breathing [inhalation]; poisonous gases, vapors or fumes may be inhaled through breathing.
Injection [intravenous]; injected poisons and drugs enter the bloodstream rapidly; dangerous
drugs, particularly narcotic are injected by abusers; poisonous snakes, fish or insects may inject
venom into the skin.
Contact; poisons may enter through contact causing chemical burns. Certain chemicals can be
absorbed through skin like paints.
EFFECTS OF POISON
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Poison reaching brain may cause convulsion, delirium, and unconsciousness, eg opium.
Swallowed corrosives can burn lips, mouth and food passages e.g. Acid or alkalis.
Some poisons disturb action of heart.
Inhaled poison can cause severe respiratory distress.
Over load of poisons can seriously damage body’s poison filters [liver and kidney].
Poison in digestive system can cause vomiting abdominal pain and diarrhea, eg. Mercury.
Poisons may damage blood preventing red cell from carrying oxygen to tissues.
AIMS OF FIRST AID
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To maintain the airway, breathing and circulation.
To identify the poison.
To obtain medical aid.
To remove any contaminated clothing.
To remove the casualty from danger
GENERAL FIRST AID IN POISONING.
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Send for medical aid.
Save the bottle, etc .for examination of any remaining poison. do not throw away the vomitus.
If casualty is unconscious place him in prone position with head turned to one side or if there is
vomiting then place side laying position.
Start artificial respiration.
If conscious give salt water, soda water or Luke warm water for causing vomiting and dilution.
TYPES OF POISONING.
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Food poisoning.
Drug poisoning.
Alcohol poisoning.
Industrial poisoning.
FOOD POISONING.
It occurs usually in summer due to spoiled food, when food is cooked for large gatherings like marriage
party ,festive occasions,etc.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS.
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Nausea and vomiting
Cramping abdominal pains
Diarrhea
Headache
Fever
Features of shock
Collapse
FIRST AID.
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Collect and keep the vomitus for examinations.
Give plenty of liquids to avoid dehydration.
Collect and keep the food consumed if possible for examination.
Call doctor immediately /take the casualty to hospital.
To avoid food poisoning, food should be prepared with cleanliness and kept covered. Flies
should be prevented to sit on the cooked food. Vegetables should cut and boiled properly and in
suspected cases boiled water must be consumed.
DRUG POISONING.
This condition can result from accidental or deliberate over dose of prescribed or over the counter
drugs.
ALCOHOL POISONING.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS.
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A strong smell of alcohol
Unconsciousness, the casualty may be hostile but will quickly relapse.
deep, noisy breathing
A full bounding pulse.
INDUSTRIAL POISONING.
FIRST AID FOR ACIDS
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Neutralize with an alkali such as chalk or lime water.
Give olive oil or milk, etc.
Keep patient warm.
FIRST AID FOR ALKALIES.
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Neutralize with a weak acid like lime juice.
Give milk.
Keep the patient warm, control shock, and apply heat.
COMMON DRUGS AND THEIR EFFECTS OF OVERDOSE
DRUGS
EFFECTS
Aspirin
Upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, ringing in
the ears, confusion and delirium.
Paracetamol
Little effects at first, later, features of liver
damage, upper abdominal pain and tenderness,
nausea and vomiting.
Barbiturates
Lethargy and sleepiness leading to
unconsciousness, shallow breathing
Cocaine
Excitable, hyper activeness sweating and
hallucinations
Narcotics
Sluggishness, confusion, shallow breathing
Light fuel
Nausea, vomiting, headache, hallucination, cardiac
arrest, unconsciousness.
OPIUM AND BARBITURATE POISONING
Head ache, dizziness, pinpoint pupils, cold etc.
FIST AID
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Keep patient awake.
Give stomach wash.
Allow fresh air, give stimulants.
Give artificial respiration.
MERCURY POISONING
Metallic taste in mouth, bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, convulsion.
FIRST AID
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Give stomach wash.
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Give egg albumin and castor oil.
Give milk, egg white until the urine is normal.
Keep patient warm.
PREVENTION.
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Medicine bottles and packets should be clearly labeled.
Medicines of unlabelled bottles should not be used and should be destroyed.
Write the word` poison’ on the toxic medicines and house hold insecticides. Keep them in
locked.
Never take medicine from unclearly labeled bottle. Do not take them in dark room.
The label on the bottle should be read before taking the medicines, during measuring the drug
and while keeping the bottle back in place.
Caustic soda or potash solution used for cleaning the floor appears like water and by mistake it
is drunk as water when one feels thirsty .therefore, clear label should be put on the bottle.
Empty bottles are filled with acids, like acids used in the batteries, acids used in cleaning sink,
wash basins, toilets, etc and are sold in market, in which sometimes the original label should be
removed and the nice label of the filled substance should be put and the bottle should be kept
beyond the reach of the children.
COMMON POISONING, THEIR SOURCE AND FIRST AID
NAME
COMMON SOURCE
FIRST AID
Acetyl salicylic Acid
aspirin
Induce vomiting; give one tea
spoonful of soda bicarbonate in
one glass of water.
Concentrated acid
Hospitals, laboratories etc
Don’t induce vomiting; give
excess water to weaken the acid.
Give milk or soda bicarbonate in
one glass of water to drink.
Concentrated Alkali
Hospitals, laboratories etc
Don’t induce vomiting; give
excess water to weaken the
alkali. Give milk or soda
bicarbonate in one glass of water
to drink.
Arsenic
Rat killing medicine
Induce vomiting, give sweet
beverage like milk, egg white or
solution of wheat flour in water
insecticides
Atropine
Eye/ear drops and ointment
Induce vomiting, give tea or
coffee to drink
carbon dioxide
Gas burner, smoke of motors
Give artificial respirations or
Oxygen if available.
Barbiturates
Hypnotics tablets
Give a tablespoon of Epsom salt
in a glass of water. Give hot tea
or coffee. Give artificial resp if
necessary
Disinfectants
Hospitals and house
Don’t induce vomiting, Give
Epsom salt in a glass of water
Lead
Some colour and hair dyes
Induce vomiting give one spoon
of Epsom salt in water
Mercury
mercury
Give milk after giving egg white
mixed with water after this
induce vomiting
Paraffin/petrol
House, garages and factories
Induce vomiting immediately.
Give water to drink in excess
amount.
Phosphorous
Rat killing medicine
Induce vomiting; give some
grains of potassium
permanganate in a glass of water
to drink.
Summary of first aid measures in household poisoning
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If ingested, note the name on an empty packet or bottle of suspected poisonous substance and
record it, preserve it. If the victim has vomited, preserve the vomitus for medical analysis top
detect the poison
Give a lot of water orally to dilute the poison
If victim is conscious and doesn’t have corrosive burns in and around the mouth, induce
vomiting by either using salt or sodium bicarbonate in a glass of water to take out the poison.
Give a universal antidote, which is of 2 parts of activated charcoal, 1 part of magnesium oxide
and 1 part of strong tea.
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If there are corrosive burns in and around the mouth and conscious, give the victim water to
drink or milk to drink. Do not induce vomiting.
If unconscious, don’t give anything orally, don’t induce vomiting but immediately transfer to
hospital in a recovery position.