of 25
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
1/25
Chapter 16: Poisoning
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
2/25
2
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Introduction
A poison is any substance that can cause injury, illness ordeath when introduced into the body
Poisoning is considered a sudden illness
Between 1 and 2 million poisonings occur each year in theUnited States
More than 90 percent of all poisonings take place in the home
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
3/25
3
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Poisoning
How Poisons Enter the Body:
-Inhalation
-Ingestion
-Absorption
-Injection
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
4/25
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
5/25
5
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Signals of Poisoning
The signals of poisoning include:
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Chest or abdominal pain
Trouble breathing
Sweating
Changes in consciousness
Seizures
Headache
Dizziness
Weakness
Irregular pupil size Burning or tearing eyes
Abnormal skin color
Burn injuries around thelips or tongue
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
6/25
6
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Care for Poisoning
The severity of a poisoning depends on:
-The type and amount of poison
-How and where the poison entered the body
-The time elapsed since the poisoning
-The victims size, weight, medical condition and age
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
7/25
7
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Care for Poisoning (cont.)
General guidelines of care for any poisoning emergency:
-Check the scene
-Check for life-threatening conditions. Call 9-1-1 or the localemergency number if the victim is unconscious or is havingtrouble breathing
-If the victim is conscious, ask questions:
What type of poison did the victim ingest, inhale, inject orcome into contact with?
How much poison did the victim ingest, inhale, inject orcome into contact with?
When did the poisoning take place (approximate time)?
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
8/25
8
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Once Determined Poison
-Remove from source
-Check LOC and ABC
-Care for life-threatening
-If conscious ask more information
-Bring any containers with you when you call
-Follow Poison Control Center or EMS directions
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
9/25
9
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Care for Poisoning (cont.)
Call the National Poison Control Center at(800) 222-1222 or 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
Give care as directed by poison control center personnel
or the EMS call taker.
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
10/25
10
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Inhaled Poisons
Poisoning by inhalation occurs when a person breathes in toxicfumes
The danger associated with inhaled poisons makes checking thesafety of the scene important
Notice clues at the scene:
-Unusual odors
-Strong smell of fuel
-Hissing sound
Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number from a differentlocation
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
11/25
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
12/25
12
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Care for Inhaled Poisons
All victims of inhaled poison need oxygen ASAP
Help a conscious victim by getting him or her to fresh air
Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number
If you find an unconscious victim: -Remove him or her from the scene if it is safe to do so
-Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number
-Give care for any other life-threatening conditions
Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number if you suspect thatfumes are present
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
13/25
13
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Ingested Poisons
The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)estimates that 76 million people suffer food-borne illnesses eachyear in the United States
Two of the most common categories of food poisoning are
bacterial food poisoning and chemical food poisoning.
Salmonella is the most common type of food poisoning
Botulism is the most deadly type of food poisoning
DO NOT give victim anything to eat or drink unless medical
professionals tell you to do so
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
14/25
14
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Ingested Poisons (cont.)
Signals of food poisoning include:
-Nausea
-Vomiting
-Abdominal pain
-Diarrhea
-Fever
-Dehydration
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
15/25
15
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Care for Ingested Poisons
In some cases of ingested poisoning, the Poison Control Center mayinstruct you to induce vomiting
Only induce vomiting if instructed to do so by a medical professional
Vomiting should not be induced if the victim:
-Is unconscious
-Is having a seizure
-Is pregnant (in the last trimester)
-Has ingested a corrosive substance (such as drain cleaner oroven cleaner) or a petroleum product (such as kerosene orgasoline)
-Is known to have heart disease
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
16/25
16
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Absorbed Poisons
An absorbed poison enters the body after it comes in contactwith the skin
Absorbed poisons come from plants such as poison ivy,
poison oak and poison sumac, as well as from fertilizers andpesticides used in lawn and plant care
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
17/25
17
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Care for Absorbed Poisons
Care for a victim who came into contact w/a poisonous plant:
-Immediately rinse the affected area
-If a rash or weeping lesion (an oozing sore) develops, seekadvice from a pharmacist or physician
-If a victims condition worsens, seek a physician
Care for a victim who came into contact w/wet or dry chemicals:
-Flush the area continuously with water
-Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number
-If running water is not available, carefully brush off anydry chemicals with a gloved hand
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
18/25
18
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
19/25
19
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Injected Poisons
Injected poisons enter the body through the bites or stings ofcertain insects, spiders, ticks, marine life, animals and snakes oras drugs or misused medications injected with a hypodermicneedle.
Insect and animal bites and stings are the most common sourcesof injected poisons
Care for injected poisons will be discussed later in Ch17 and 18
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
20/25
20
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Anaphylaxis
Severe allergic reactions to poisons are rare. But when one occurs, itis a life-threatening medical emergency. This reaction is calledanaphylaxis.
Anaphylaxis is a form of shock
Onset of anaphylaxis can be rapid and the signals include: -Swelling and redness
-Hives
-Rash
-Itching
-Burning skin and eyes
-Weakness
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
21/25
21
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Anaphylaxis (cont.)
-Nausea
-Vomiting
-Restlessness
-Dizziness
-Dilated pupils
-Slurred speech
-Chest discomfort or pain
-Weak or rapid pulse
-Rapid or trouble breathing (can result in obstructed airway)
-Coughing or wheezing
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
22/25
22
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Care for Anaphylaxis
Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number
Place victim in a position of comfort for breathing
Comfort and reassure the victim.
People who know they are extremely allergic to certainsubstances may carry an anaphylaxis kit
The kit contains a dose of epinephrine that can be injected intothe body to counteract the anaphylactic reaction
In some cases, you may need to assist the victim in using his or
her kit
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
23/25
23
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Epi Pen
Auto-Injector:
Carry dose of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) to counteractanaphylactic reaction.
Both a kit and auto-injector are by prescription ONLY
PRACTICE USE
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
24/25
24
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved.
Preventing Poisoning
-Keep household products and meds away from children
-Keep products in original containers
-Dispose of outdated medications and household products
-Use the poison symbol on dangerous substances
-Use chemicals only in well-ventilated areas
-Wear proper clothing
-Immediately wash those areas of the body that may havecome in contact with a poison
8/14/2019 Chapters 16
25/25
25
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AIDRESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright 2005 by The American National Red CrossAll rights reserved
Closing
Poisoning can occur in any one of four ways: inhalation,ingestion, absorption and injection
The severity of a poisoning depends on factors such as:
-The type and amount of poison
-How and where the poison entered the body -The time elapsed since the poisoning
-The victims size, weight, medical condition and age
For suspected poisoning call the national number of the PoisonControl Center or 9-1-1 or the local emergency number
Follow the directions of poison control center personnel or theEMS call taker
Questions?