Toxic substances (poisons) may be swallowed, inhaled, absorbed through skin, splashed in eyes, or injected through stings or bites. When this happens, you need treatment information fast! Poison information is available 24 hours a day by contacting your regional poison control center. Typically, you can find the telephone number in the front section of your phone directory. The poison control center staff includes registered nurses and pharmacists trained and certified in toxicology. The service is free and used by the general public and physicians, hospitals, and emergency departments for both adult and child poisonings.

For preschool age children, more than 90 percent of poisoning cases are treated safely at home or in the childcare center with a poison specialist providing treatment recommendations and follow up phone calls.

Here are some steps to remember when calling your poison control center:

• The poison control center must be contacted immediately following an exposure before symptoms occur. Be sure to post the poison control center number on every phone.
• Do not provide any treatment before contacting the poison control center.
• When you call the poison control center, have the substance container with you so you can read the label and answer questions about the product.
• Be prepared to give information about what happened, how much of the substance was ingested (or inhaled, etc.), if the child has vomited, the child’s age, weight, and medical history along with any first aid given.
• Remain calm when answering the questions asked by the poison specialists. The average call lasts 2-3 minutes.

Child poisonings most often involve cleaning agents, cosmetics, cough/cold preparations, gasoline/kerosene, topical medications, plants, analgesics/pain relievers, insecticides, stings, and insect bites. According to a recent study performed by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, 23% of the oral prescription drugs that were ingested by children under five belonged to someone who did not live with a child and that 17% of the ingested drugs belonged to a grandparent.

Posting poison control information and frequently reminding staff of what to do in a poisoning can help keep children healthy and safe.