The intake of toxic products It is a very frequent cause of hospital visits in children under six years. The first step to take is prevention. Preventing children from having easy access to toxic products can save us a lot of disgust. Therefore, remove from your reach, high or low key, all dangerous substances that are in the house and always keep the products in their original packaging; changing them can cause serious confusion. It is also essential to have the toxicological emergency telephone number at hand (in Spain 91 562 04 20 24 hours) to know how to act as soon as possible in case of intoxication.
The most common poisonings, which can even cause death, are due to the ingestion of:
- Medications (analgesics, antidepressants, sedatives, etc.)
- Cleaning products (bleach, ammonia, caustic soda, unclogged detergents, detergents, dishwashers, metal cleaners, clean toilets, etc.)
- Cosmetics (creams, alcohol, shampoo, perfumes, etc.)
- Pesticides and insecticides
- Paints, solvents and hydrocarbons (turpentine, kerosene, diesel, etc)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Plants (there are plants that can be poisonous, be informed before buying them)
If the child had taken any medication or alcoholic beverage, the clearest symptom is drowsiness or sudden lethargy, strange behavior, abdominal pain or directly we find the medicine container or bottle open. In these cases we must cause vomiting by stimulating the pharynx to eliminate the medication or drink, unless the child's level of consciousness had decreased or he had a previous neurological disease.
In the case of having ingested products that can cause chemical burns in the body such as cleaning products, solvents, cyanide, turpentine, diesel, etc., the symptoms of poisoning can be: vomiting (which can be with blood), continuous drooling, burning in the mouth and throat, fever, swelling of the mouth and lips, pain in the throat and chest when swallowing. What to do? Do not cause vomiting and even try to avoid it so that the product does not pass through the larynx, causing even more damage. We must immediately administer a homemade neutralizer such as water, milk, egg white or vegetable oil to dilute the product and avoid further damage, but in small quantities to prevent vomiting.
In both cases, after the first attention at home, you must urgently go to the doctor with the container or the label of the product that has been ingested to be able to determine which was the toxic and thus proceed to the correct treatment. If we are not sure what exactly the medicine has been taken, collect in a bag all that is in the house and take them to the doctor. It is also important to inform the doctor well about the amount that has been ingested, the time elapsed, whether he has vomited or not and the symptoms that occurred. Once in the hospital or in the health center, the doctor will determine the treatment to follow as gastric lavage, administration of an absorbent or laxatives.
