For most poisons: quickly flush the poison out by drinking large amounts of water. Taking activated charcoal will help remove the poison through elimination later in stool. If you know the specific poison, see the
charts below for information on what to do.
For an adult: Give 50 to 100 grams activated charcoal mixed with water.
For a child: Estimate how much the child weighs and give 1 gram activated charcoal per kilogram of weight, mixed with water.
Activated charcoal is an inexpensive and very helpful remedy to keep in your medicine supply.
Do not give water, charcoal, or anything else to swallow to someone who cannot breathe well or is losing consciousness. Remember: maintaining breathing is always most important.
Vomiting is not usually helpful for poisoning, and it can be dangerous. Someone who has swallowed corrosive chemicals like acids or lye, or gasoline, kerosene, or turpentine, or who is having trouble breathing should never try to vomit up the poison.
If you do try to vomit, do so as soon as possible, within the first few hours. To encourage vomiting, touch the back of the throat with a finger or swallow a spoonful of salt.
Keep all poisons out of the reach of children.
Prevention
Poisoning is preventable. Label all poisons and medicines clearly. Keep them out of the reach of children in high or locked cabinets. Never use empty poison containers for food or drink even if you clean them first. Likewise never put poisons in bottles or containers made to be used for food or drink.
Poison is a common method people use to kill or harm themselves. Locking away poisons, guns, and other potentially deadly materials is a surprisingly effective way to prevent suicide deaths. For more on how to help someone who wants to kill himself, see Mental Health Emergency.
CHEMICAL POISONING
Types of Chemicals
Signs of poisoning
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What to do
Corrosives:
Ammonia
Batteries
Acids
Drain cleaner
Caustic soda
Lye
Acids or bases. These chemicals burn the inside of the body.
Extra saliva.
Pain in mouth, throat, chest, stomach, or back.
Vomiting.
Difficulty swallowing.
Do not try to vomit.
Activated charcoal is of little use.
Give as much water as you can. Get help.
Hydrocarbons:
Gasoline
Turpentine
Paint thinner
Kerosene
Phenol
Carbolic acid
Camphor
Pine oil
These are most dangerous if breathed into the lungs.
Difficulty breathing.
Coughing, choking, gagging.
Fever.
Seizures or loss of consciousness (passing out).
The breath may smell like the poison.
Do not try to vomit.
Do not give activated charcoal.
Give a lot of water.
Wash hydrocarbons off skin and hair and take off any contaminated clothes.
Give help with breathing if needed and watch the person's breathing for 2 days.
Get help
Cyanide:
Gets into air or water from use in: mining, factory work, animal hide hair removal (tanning).
Indoor fires can cause you to breathe cyanide that was in the burning materials. You may smell bitter almond in smoke that has cyanide in it.
Breathing problems.
Headache, confusion, and seizures.
There can be long lasting damage to the brain.
Do not try to vomit.
Watch for breathing problems, and try to restart the heart if it stops.
Using a paper mask when beginning rescue breathing prevents the cyanide from passing to you.
Do not let the person drink or swallow until she is breathing well.
Alcohol:
An overdose can cause the person to stop breathing.
Vomiting.
Confusion.
Seizures.
Slow or irregular breathing.
Loss of consciousness. Confusion, changes in consciousness, irregular breathing, and feeling or looking ill could also be signs of a diabetic emergency
Monitor the person's breathing and give rescue breathing if necessary.
Turn him on his side to prevent choking if he vomits.
