Poisoning Prevention Pointers

In honor of National Poison Prevention Week (March 14-20), we at Brandon Regional Hospital want to provide parents some useful tips for keeping their family safe from unintentional poisoning. Put into action this handy set of “9 Rules of the House” suggested by the National Poison Prevention Week Council and enlist the help of older children and other adults in the house to follow suit.

1. Always leave items in their original containers to prevent any confusion later.
2. Do not remove labels from product packaging to ensure you can identify the package’s contents.
3. Keep all chemicals and medicines in locked storage areas, and when they are out and in use, never leave young children alone or out of sight.
4. Keep small batteries (such as button batteries, often found in watches, calculators and cameras) out of the hands of small children to prevent swallowing. While much of the time, these batteries can pass through the system, there is a chance of poisoning and the batteries can cause internal burning in the esophagus or intestinal tract. If you determine that a battery has been swallowed, contact your physician or Poison Control Center.
5. When finished using a child-resistant bottle, secure the container’s cap tightly.
6. Try to avoid taking medicine in front of small children who may confuse small pills with candy.
7. Keep decorative lamps or candles that contain lamp oil out of children’s reach not only to avoid potential burns but because lamp oil is very toxic.
8. Schedule periodic times during the year to review your medicine cabinet’s contents to safely dispose of expired over-the-counter medication or old prescriptions. We suggest once or twice a year – maybe first day of spring for once a year or the day after the clocks change (twice annually).
9. In case of poisoning, call 911.