There are more deaths by poisoning in the United States every year than by almost any other unintentional cause of injury – second only to motor vehicle crashes, according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

Dr. Thomas C. Arnold, professor and chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, said, “Poison can be any substance that is harmful. Almost anything can be harmful if the dose is high enough. It is the dose that determines if the substance is a poison.”

Arnold said the Louisiana Poison Center manages about 37,000 human poisoning exposures per year and that, nationally, the Poison Center system manages about 2.5 million cases each year. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, 93 percent of these occurred in the home. More than half of these exposures occurred in children under the age of 6. Arnold also identifi es the elderly population as another highrisk group. “Many elderly citizens are on multiple medications, and dosing errors are quite common,” Arnold said. “Keeping all the different prescriptions organized can be a daunting task for anyone so it is not unusual to have medication mix-ups.

“Most households contain products that are dangerous. Many cleaning supplies, detergent pods, drain cleaners and rustremoving compounds commonly found under the sink be deadly if ingested by a toddler,” Arnold said. “In the garage, antifreeze, windshield washer fl uids, engine additives, gasoline, paint thinners and pesticides are also on the list of deadly compounds. Most cosmetics and toiletries are not considered dangerous but some artifi cial nail products and hair relaxers can be devastating.”

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services gives the following poison prevention tips:

• Keep medicines in their original containers and out of the reach of small children,

• Have a working carbon monoxide detector in your home,

• Do not use food containers to store household cleaners and other chemicals or products,

• Keep laundry products locked up, high and out of the reach of children,

• Keep antifreeze and all chemicals and household products in their original containers,

• Keep art products in their original containers,

• Store food at the proper temperatures. Refrigerated foods should not be left out at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees C), and

• Use clean utensils for cooking and serving.

“If you think you have ingested or been exposed to a poison, the fi rst thing to do is call your local Poison Center at 1-800- 222-1222. The professionals at the Poison Center can help you determine if the exposure is likely to cause any problems. They will refer you to your doctor or ER for treatment if necessary, but they are able to manage 80-90 percent of calls at home,” Arnold said. “They will even follow up with you later by phone to make sure everything is OK. Treatments for poisoning cases vary greatly depending on the potential severity and nature of the exposure. Only a trained health-care provider can determine what is needed in each case.”

Arnold adds that if you call the Poison Help line, they will send you detailed information by mail on poison-proofi ng your home.

“The most effective thing any parent can do to reduce the risk of their child being poisoned is to move all potentially dangerous products into overhead cabinets away from curious toddlers,” he said. “Keep all medications locked up or out of reach. Never allow children to play with medicine containers. Medicine bottles are child-resistant not child-proof. If given enough time, a child can get any medicine bottle open.”

The Health & Human Services Poison Help website asks parents to take time to teach their children the following poison safety rules:

• If you don’t know what something is, don’t put it in your mouth,

• Never put plants and berries in your mouth,

• Never take medicine unless a parent tells you to,

• Don’t touch or play with spray cans and bottles; leave that to an adult, and

• Stay away from products used to clean the house, clothes or car.

• The most important thing about poison prevention is that it doesn’t happen by accident,” he said. “You must make an active effort to reduce unnecessary poisonings in your home.”

– Michael Stone