NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
Holidays are always a fun time of year but can become hectic
when families begin preparing for the celebration. Mishaps occur all the time,
but they are more common around the holidays when people in the household are
distracted, making it much easier to overlook common household hazards. More
than 90 percent of poisonings reported to poison centers happen in people’s
homes.
While getting ready for the Passover/Easter holidays, many
families start their spring cleaning. Adults in the household must pay extra attention
to what they are leaving unsecured around the home. Medications and household
products used in the wrong way, in the wrong amount, or by the wrong person can
be dangerous, even fatal. If it can be seen, assume a child or pet can get to
it.
Case: While busy cleaning and preparing for the upcoming
holiday, the adults never noticed the toddler of the family grabbed the can of
oven cleaner that was left on the kitchen table. Luckily the child only put his
lips on the spout but did not swallow any when his aunt grabbed it away. He
ended up with just a small blister on his lips. This could have been a
life-threatening situation if he actually took a gulp of the cleaner.
Parents and caregivers need to heed the warning from the
poison experts — “Children and pets will explore if it is in their sight and
reach,” said Dr. Steven Marcus, medical and executive director of the NJ Poison
Center. “You shouldn’t only lock up household chemicals and pesticides, but
also vitamins, medicines (prescription, over-the-counter, dietary and/or herbal
supplements), laundry supplies, alcohol, e-cigarettes cartridges and nicotine
refills.”
Case: While on an Easter egg hunt with her family, a baby
was playing with her older brother’s toy in her carriage. She started to cough
but no one thought much of it until the older brother tried to play with the
toy and it would not work. They noticed the back of the toy was off and the
disk battery was missing.
In a panic, dad started to search the Internet from
his phone to find out what could happen if the battery was swallowed. Good
thing he found the Poison Help number right away. He then called the poison
center for help. Within three minutes of that phone call, the child was on her
way to the hospital to determine if the battery was ingested and where it was
in the GI track. After consultation with a poison expert, the emergency room
staff called in a specialist to remove the battery. The child did well, and a
life-threatening event was averted.
The experts at the NJ Poison Center receive calls regarding
exposures to products, chemicals, medicines, etc. on a daily basis. “No matter
the reason for calling, we are always available to help in an emergency or when
you are in doubt,” said Marcus. “Let us help you make the right decisions on what
needs to be done. Save our number in your phone (800-222-1222) and ask friends
and family to do the same.”
Case: A family’s grandfather was visiting for the holiday
and offered to watch the baby while mom got some things done around the house.
When the baby started to cry, the grandfather gave him what he thought was a
teething toy.
Turns out, grandpa mistook a laundry detergent packet laying on
the kitchen table for a teething toy. Once he noticed what happened, he
immediately called his daughter and they called 911 for help. The dispatcher
immediately connected them to the poison center where they were instructed to
immediately take the baby to the nearest emergency room. The baby was seen and
monitored by ER medical staff. Luckily no serious damage was done and the baby
was released later that evening. Parents beware: Laundry detergent packets are
much more concentrated than regular laundry, which causes more severe problems
if ingested.
The poison center plays a crucial role in helping loved ones
when the unthinkable happens; providing free, fast, confidential, expert
medical advice to anyone in New Jersey 24/7/365. Not only does it help save
lives, it also saves time and money; a value added to the free service. Calling
the poison experts first before rushing to the emergency room can potentially
save the caller, the insurance company and the state of New Jersey millions of
dollars each year by keeping people out of the hospitals, getting them back to
work sooner, and teaching prevention.
Although poisonings can cause serious injuries and even
death, most are preventable! Don’t spend your holiday in an emergency room.
Prevent mishaps from occurring. Pay attention to the safety tips below, it
could prevent a life-threatening exposure, even save a life.
Prevention First — Things to Remember for the
Passover/Easter Holiday
• When preparing meals, always wash hands with soap and warm
water before and after handling raw foods.
• Raw eggs may carry bacteria known as Salmonella. Cook eggs
fully before decorating. If using raw eggs for cookie dough or cake batter, be
sure to use eggs pasteurized in their shells so licking the spoon may be safe.
• Use only food dye to color eggs. Although most of these
are non-toxic, children should be supervised at all times. Children can mistake
the colored tablets used to dye eggs for candy.
• Keep Easter grass away from young children and pets as
this product can be a choking hazard and can cause intestinal obstruction if
ingested.
• Chocolate can be toxic to both cats and dogs. Symptoms
include convulsions, heart problems, nausea and vomiting.
• Ask visitors and house guests to keep coats, purses,
briefcases, luggage, etc. containing medicine (prescription, over-the-counter,
herbal and/or dietary supplements) locked up and out of sight from children and
pets while they are in your home.
• While cleaning, keep the area well ventilated by turning
on fans and opening windows. Fumes from these products can be very strong and
can cause injury. Remember to never mix cleaners or chemicals together; doing
so could create a poisonous gas.
• Store cleaning products and chemicals away from food. Many
injuries occur when one product is mistaken for another. Never store them in
food containers like cups and bottles.
• Always throw out leftover alcohol used during religious
ceremonies. Empty beverage glasses and place them out of reach of curious
children and pets. If accidentally swallowed, leftover alcohol can be fatal.
• Avoid drinking alcohol if you are taking medicines. The
interaction between the two can cause serious injury.
• Do not pick plants/mushrooms to eat from your backyard or
fields. Even experts are often fooled by look-alikes that are toxic.
• Some holiday plants can be toxic to pets. Use extreme
caution when bringing in flowers, bouquets and new plants into your
pet-friendly household.
• Easter Lily: Keep away from pets. Poisonous to cats.
• Lily of the Valley: If ingested, this plant can cause
heart problems.
• Tulips and other bulb spring flowers: The bulbs can be
irritating to your skin. If swallowed, they can cause distress.
If you believe your child, pet, or anyone else has ingested
something that could be harmful, call the NJ Poison Experts at 800-222-1222. If
someone is unconscious, not breathing, seizing/convulsing, bleeding profusely,
difficult to arouse/wake up, etc. call 911 immediately, otherwise call the
poison center. A quick response by both the caller and the poison center expert
can make a difference in preventing serious injury and saving lives. Every
minute counts in poisoning situations so do not take chances by either waiting
until symptoms occur or waste valuable time looking up information on the
Internet.
New Jersey residents seeking immediate information about
treating poison emergencies, and those with any drug information questions,
should call the toll-free hot line, 800-222-1222, anytime. The hearing impaired
may call 973-926-8008. For more information, visit www.njpies.org or call 973-972-9280.
Source: http://www.mycentraljersey.com