Poisoning

Published by Bupa's Health Information Team, February 2011.

This factsheet is for people who are concerned about poisoning, or who would like information about it.

Poisons are substances that can harm the body. Poisons can be swallowed, inhaled, absorbed or injected. Accidental poisoning usually involves children or the elderly.

About poisons

Many common household substances can be poisonous.

• Medicines may be safe at the recommended dose, but can be poisonous if you take an overdose.
• Cleaning and washing products such as bleach and dishwasher tablets/powder can be harmful even in small amounts if you don't use them correctly.
• Other household chemicals such as plant food, paints, solvents, firelighters, weedkiller or slug pellets are often poisonous.
• Some toiletries such as hair dyes, chemical treatments and nail varnish remover can be harmful.
• Gases, such as carbon monoxide, can be poisonous.

Some household products have an orange panel on the back to warn you that they can be harmful if you don't use them correctly. Other products may have a risk phrase, such as 'harmful if swallowed' or 'irritating to eyes'. You should always follow the instructions given on the product label when using any chemicals or household products.

You can also be poisoned by:

• bites from animals, including snakes
• insect bites or stings
• fish or jellyfish stings
• germs in your food (food poisoning), such as bacteria and mould that produce toxins (a toxin is a poison produced by a living organism)
• wild plants, berries, or mushrooms, which can be irritating to your skin or harmful if you swallow them

Children are most at risk from accidental poisoning at home, about four out of 10 cases of accidental poisoning occur in children under 10. Children aged around two are most at risk.

Symptoms of poisoning

Different poisons affect your body in different ways and can take effect quickly or over time. The risk depends on a variety of factors including:

• the amount swallowed or injected
• the length of exposure (through ingestion, inhalation or skin contact)
• the time since exposure
• the age and weight of the person affected

As such, the range of symptoms can be broad and varied. If someone suddenly becomes ill for no apparent reason, or acts strangely, you should consider poisoning a possibility, particularly if you find him or her near a potentially poisonous substance.

Symptoms of poisoning can include:

• feeling sick or vomiting, abdominal (tummy) pain, diarrhoea
• dizziness, weakness or drowsiness
• fever or chills (shivering)
• fast or irregular pulse
• headache, confusion or irritability
• pain on swallowing or production of more saliva than usual
• burns around the nose or mouth
• double or blurred vision
• seizures (fits)
• stupor (being sleepy or unresponsive) or unconsciousness

What to do if someone has been poisoned

Being poisoned can be life-threatening. Giving appropriate first aid, as described below, can help minimise the harm to the person who is poisoned. For simplicity we have referred to the person (casualty) in the male gender throughout.

First, assess the situation and the risk you're in – don't put yourself in danger.

If you think someone has swallowed, injected or inhaled a poison or has taken an overdose of drugs and appears to be unconscious, try to rouse him. If the person responds, you shouldn't move him. Instead try to find out what is wrong, make sure his airway is open and that he can breathe comfortably and you can monitor his condition. Call for emergency help or preferably get someone to call for you.

If he is unresponsive, you should first shout for help and then open the airway by:

• turning the person on his back
• tilting his head back
• lifting his chin

Ask someone to phone for an ambulance, and if necessary the fire brigade. If you're on your own, you should do this yourself. Be ready to give as much of the following information as you can to the paramedics and to the doctor or nurse in the Accident and Emergency department.

• The name of what was swallowed, injected or inhaled if you know it. If possible, keep the container and make a note of how much has been taken.
• The estimated time that the poison was taken or used.
• Whether or not the person has vomited.
• Whether you think it was accidental or deliberate.
• Whether the person suffers from any chronic illness (eg heart disease) or takes any medication (if you know).

If the person is unconscious and breathing normally, you should turn him into the recovery position. Check his breathing regularly until help arrives.

If the person is unconscious and isn't breathing normally, you should perform emergency resuscitation (cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR), but only if you know how. If you think the poison was swallowed, use the mouth-to-nose method, or preferably, use a pocket mask or face shield for rescue breathing. This way you avoid any contact with traces of poison or vomit that might remain around the person's mouth. If you think the person has inhaled poisonous fumes, don't expose yourself to the person's breath and use chest compressions only. You should continue at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute. Don't stop unless the person begins breathing normally, shows signs of regaining consciousness, such as coughing or opening eyes, or qualified help arrives to take over.

If the person has pills in his mouth, try to get him to spit them out. You can give them to the hospital staff to help identify the cause of poisoning.

Don't try to make the person sick as vomiting can cause even more damage. If the person has been sick, collect a sample of the vomit to take to hospital. This may help staff identify the poison.

Carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas. It's produced by incomplete burning of fuels, including gas, wood or petrol (eg indoor heating systems, car engines, fires and cooking appliances).

Dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can build up if equipment (eg a boiler) is faulty or poorly maintained, or by burning fuels in an enclosed space.

Carbon monoxide is absorbed through your lungs into your blood. It reduces the blood's ability to carry oxygen around your body. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include feeling sick, dizziness, diarrhoea, headache, drowsiness and confusion. It can result in chest pain, changes to your breathing and heart rate, loss of consciousness and eventually death.

If you suspect that you or someone else is affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, leave the area and seek urgent medical attention.

The treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning involves breathing pure oxygen (oxygen therapy) to help replace the carbon monoxide in the blood.

Contamination of the skin or eyes

Chemicals can burn or irritate your skin or eyes. If you spill a harmful chemical on yourself you should:

• brush off the chemical if it's a powder
• run the affected area under cold water for 20 minutes
• remember to wash away from other parts of your body
• seek urgent medical attention

If you spill a chemical into your eye, then you should flush your eye with water or sterile fluid for at least 10 minutes. You should hold a pad over your eye and seek urgent medical attention.

If you're treating someone else, wear gloves, apron and face protection, if necessary.

Always read the label and follow the manufacturer's instructions when using chemicals or household products.

Prevention of poisoning

You can reduce the likelihood of accidental poisoning in your home by taking the following steps.

• Store all medicines, vitamins and potentially poisonous substances in their original containers with a clear label. Keep them in an area that is out of sight and reach of children.
• Check your garden for poisonous plants and remove them. Children should be taught not to eat any part of a growing plant.
• Have your boiler and gas appliances serviced regularly to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, and make sure that bedrooms in particular have adequate ventilation. Consider installing carbon monoxide alarms in your home.
• Don't block air vents, flues or chimneys and don't have indoor fires or stoves without proper ventilation to the outdoors.

Appropriate first aid can greatly improve a person's chances of a full recovery. You can learn about providing first aid in a wide range of accidents and emergencies by taking a course. Several organisations offer first aid courses, including vital instructions on CPR.

For answers to frequently asked questions on this topic, see Common questions.

For sources and links to further information, see Resources.