Chapter 18Poisoning

Poisons (1 of 2)

A poison is also known as a toxin and is defined as anything that can cause harm to someone if it is used in the wrong way, used by the wrong person, or used in the wrong amount.

Poisons (2 of 2)

Types• Ingested• Inhaled • Injected• Absorbed

(contact)

Forms• Solids• Liquids • Sprays• Gases

Poisons Found in the Home• Antifreeze and windshield

washer• Some medicines• Corrosive cleaners• Fuels• Pesticides

Ingested (Swallowed) Poisons• Occurs when victim swallows a toxic

substance• Account for 80% of all poisonings• Analgesics account for largest category.• Do not confuse poisoning frequency with

poisoning severity.

Recognizing Ingested Poisons• Abdominal pain and cramping• Nausea or vomiting• Diarrhea• Burns, odor, or stains around and in

the mouth• Drowsiness or unconsciousness• Seizure• Poison container nearby

Care for Ingested Poisons (1 of 3)

• Check the condition of the victim.• Call 9-1-1 immediately if the person:

• Is unresponsive• Is having trouble breathing• Has severe pain in the chest• Shows other life-threatening signs

Care for Ingested Poisons (2 of 3)

• Call Poison Help 1-800-222-1222.

• Tell poison expert:• Name of product• Amount involved• How long ago

poison contacted victim

• Signs you notice

Courtesy of the American Association of Poison Control Centers

Care for Ingested Poisons (3 of 3)

• Place the victim on his or her left side.

• Save poison container, plants, and victim’s vomitus.

Alcohol Emergencies• Alcohol is a

depressant.• Alcohol affects a

person’s:• Judgment• Vision• Reaction time• Coordination

• Can cause death© Doug Menuez/Photodisc/Getty Images

Recognizing Intoxication

• Odor of alcohol on breath or clothing• Unsteadiness, staggering walking• Slurred speech and inability to carry on

conversations• Nausea and vomiting• Flushed face• Seizures

Care for Alcohol Intoxication (1 of 2)

• Look for any injuries.• Monitor breathing and treat accordingly.• Place the person on the left side.• Call poison center for advice and

emergency medical services (EMS) for help.

Care for Alcohol Intoxication (2 of 2)

• If the victim is violent, leave the scene.• Provide emotional support.• Assume that an injured or unresponsive

victim has a spinal injury. • Move person to a warm place.

Drug Emergencies

Drug classifications:• Uppers (stimulants)• Downers (depressants)• Hallucinogens

• Alter and enhance sensory and emotional information

• Volatile chemicals• Cause serious damage to organs

Sympathomimetics

• Sympathomimetics are stimulants.

• A stimulant is any agent that produces an excited state.

Courtesy of DEA

Recognizing Sympathomimetic Use• Disorganized behavior• Hyperactivity• Restlessness• Anxiety or great fear• Paranoia• Delusions

Care for Sympathomimetic Users• Check breathing.• Call poison center or 9-1-1.• Check for injuries.• Place in recovery position.• Provide reassurance and emotional

support.• If violent, seek safety.• Seek medical care.

Hallucinogens

• Produce changes in mood and sensory awareness

• Might make users dangerous to themselves and others

Recognizing Hallucinogen Use

• Visual hallucinations• Intensity of vision and

hearing

Care for Hallucinogen Use• Check breathing.• Call poison center or 9-1-1.• Check for injuries.• Keep person on left side.• Provide reassurance and emotional

support.• If violent, seek safety.• Seek medical care.

Marijuana

• An estimated 20 million people use marijuana daily in the United States.

© Ben Smith/ShutterStock, Inc.

Recognizing Marijuana Overdose• Euphoria, relaxation, drowsiness• Short-term memory loss• Impaired capacity for complex

thinking and work• Depression, confusion• Altered perception of time• Anxiety, panic• Hallucinations

Care for Marijuana Overdose

• Check breathing.• Call poison center or 9-1-1.• Check for injuries.• Place on the left side.• Provide reassurance and emotional

support.• If violent, seek safety.• Seek medical care.

Depressants

• Easy to obtain• People sometimes solicit

prescriptions from several physicians.

• Includes:• Opiates• Sedative-hypnotics

Recognizing Sedative-Hypnotic Drug Use

• Drowsiness, sleepiness• Slurred speech• Slow breathing rate

Recognizing Opiate Overdose

• Reduced breathing rate• Pinpoint pupils• Sedated condition and

unresponsiveness

Care for Depressant Overdose• Check breathing.• Call poison center or 9-1-1.• Check for injuries.• Place on the left side.• Provide reassurance and emotional

support.• If violent, seek safety.• Seek medical care.

Abused Inhalants

• Inhaling glue or other solvents produces effects similar to those from ingesting alcohol.

• Persons who sniff these substances can die of suffocation.

Recognizing Abused Inhalant

• Mild drowsiness to unresponsiveness

• Slurred speech and clumsiness• Seizures• Slow breathing rate• Smell of solvents

Care for Abused Inhalant• Check breathing.• Call poison center or 9-1-1.• Check for injuries.• Place on the left side.• Provide reassurance and emotional

support.• If violent, seek safety.• Seek medical care.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning • Carbon monoxide is:

• Odorless• Colorless• Nonirritating • Produced by the incomplete combustion of

carbon-based fuels

Carbon Monoxide Sources

• Cars• Cigarettes• Faulty furnaces• Water heaters

• Kerosene heaters• Open-flame fires• Charcoal grills• Hibachi grills

Recognizing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Headache• Ringing in ears• Chest pain• Muscle weakness• Nausea and

vomiting

• Dizziness and visual changes

• Unresponsiveness• Respiratory and

cardiac arrest• Cherry-red skin

and lips

Earmarks of Possible Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Symptoms come and go.• Symptoms worsen and improve in

certain places and at certain times of the day.

• Nearby people have similar symptoms.

• Pets seem ill.

Care for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning• Remove victim from environment immediately.• Call 9-1-1.

• To reverse the effects:• 4 to 5 hours with ordinary air• 30 to 40 minutes with 100% oxygen

• Monitor breathing.• Place unresponsive breathing victim in recovery

position.• Seek medical care.

Plant-Induced Dermatitis• About 85% of the population is sensitive

to poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac.

• The resin of these plants is a colorless or slightly yellow, light oil. • Spreads by direct contact• Can stay active for months or years

Poison Ivy and Poison Oak

• Low bushes or climbing vines

• Waxy, broad, green leaves in summer

• Brown to red leaves in fall

• Leaflets grow in groups of three.

© Thomas Photography LLC/Alamy Images

© Thomas J. Peterson/Alamy Images

Poison Sumac

• Found in damp, swampy areas

• Black spot test

Courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service

Recognizing Plant-Induced Dermatitis

• Mild: itching• Mild to moderate:

itching and redness• Moderate: itching,

redness, and swelling

• Severe: itching, redness, swelling, and blisters

© pinkannjoh/age fotostock

Care for Plant-Induced Dermatitis (1 of 3)

• Clean skin with soap and cold water as soon as possible.

• Apply rubbing alcohol liberally.• Remove with water.

Care for Plant-Induced Dermatitis (2 of 3)

• For a mild reaction:• Lukewarm bath with colloidal oatmeal• Wet compresses with aluminum acetate• Calamine lotion or baking soda paste

Care for Plant-Induced Dermatitis (3 of 3)

• For a mild to moderate reaction:• Same care as mild reaction but add

corticosteroid ointment• For a severe reaction:

• Same care as mild and moderate reaction but add an oral corticosteroid

Stinging Nettle

• Has stinging hairs on its stem and leaves

• Fine needlepoint penetrates the skin and injects an irritating chemical.

Recognizing Stinging Nettle Poisoning

• Effects are limited to exposed area.• Response is usually immediate.• Produces some degree of:

• Redness• Burning• Itching

Care for Stinging Nettle Poisoning

• Wash area with soap and water.• Apply cold, wet pack.

• Paste of colloidal oatmeal• Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream• Calamine lotion

• Apply calamine lotion.• Take an over-the-counter antihistamine.