Poisoning

Subject: Child Health Nursing

Overview

Poison is defined as any material that, when ingested, can result in serious illness or even death. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the widespread availability and ease of access to novel substances in commerce, industry, and medicine contribute to a rise in the occurrence of poisonings. Accidental poisonings in children are more likely when there is a lack of supervision, a high number of youngsters in the home, inadequate living quarters, negligent storage, ready availability, a lack of time, and a lack of discipline. Kerosene, medications, acids, pesticides, and beauty products are all examples of common poisons. Toxins have a wide range of effects and can show in several ways. Some of them include the inability to breathe, a slow heart rate, irritability, low or high body temperature, ataxia, convulsions, lethargy, paralysis, loss of consciousness, vomiting, diarrhea, possible burns to the mouth, throat, and gastrointestinal mucosa, etc. Keep all medicines and other chemicals with the potential to cause poisoning out of a child's reach, and be sure to always replace the child-resistant caps after use.

Poison is defined as any material that, when ingested, can result in serious illness or even death. Poisonings are becoming more common as a result of the widespread availability and ease of use of newly developed substances in commerce, industry, and medicine. Accidental poisonings in children are more likely when there is a lack of supervision, a high number of youngsters in the home, inadequate living quarters, negligent storage, ready availability, a lack of time, and a lack of discipline.

Although children below five years of age are the common victim of this, around 70% of accidents occur within the 3rd year of life. Poison can get into the body by one of the following routes;

by swallowing,
by injection,
by contact with the skin.

Some of the common poisons are kerosene, medicine, acids, insecticides, cosmetics,

Paint, bleach, detergent, carbon monoxide, etc. Among them, around 75% of poisoning are due to the ingestion of nontoxic substances which requires reassurance to the children and parents.

Types of poisoning

Lead poisoning
Lead poisoning is a medical disorder that occurs when heavy metal lead accumulates in the body. Toxic levels of lead can be found in youngsters mostly through exposure to lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings.
Food poisoning
Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, is an illness caused by eating contaminated food. Infectious organisms food. Infectious organisms- including various bacteria, viruses, and parasites are the most common cause of food poisoning.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs when an individual is exposed to toxic levels of the odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas carbon monoxide. If there's too much carbon monoxide in the air, your body won't be able to take in as much oxygen, and that might cause major harm to your tissues. Poisoning from carbon monoxide is fatal.

General signs and symptoms of poisoning

poison has a wide range of effects and can show in several ways. Some of them include the inability to breathe, a slow heart rate, irritation, low or high body temperature, ataxia, convulsions, lethargy, paralysis, loss of consciousness, vomiting, diarrhea, possible burns to the mouth, throat, and gastrointestinal mucosa, etc.

First Aid management

Assess the condition of a child and check airway, breathing, heartbeat, circulation, and consciousness quickly.
Identify the poison if possible: probably the dose and time of ingestion.
Ipecac syrup, given in doses of 10-15 ml for children younger than 10 years old and 30 ml for children older than 10 years old, can be used to induce vomiting and eliminate poison if the kid has consumed a noncorrosive poison and there are no contraindications for doing so.
Please get medical attention right away if you or someone you know has been poisoned by a caustic substance.
Wash the poisoning substance with plain water if present on the skin's surface.
Gastric lavage should be done only with a clear indication.
Prevent aspiration of vomit by keeping the child's head lower than a chest, place head between his legs, or positioning him on his side.
If a child is unconscious, start mouth-to-mouth respiration in a case of noncorrosive poisoning, but in a case of corrosive poisoning don't give mouth-to-mouth respiration.
Keep the child warm and comfortable.
Support children and parents by keeping a calm and quiet environment and send the victim to health care facilities as soon as possible.

Poisoning prevention

Place all potentially toxic substances or agents out of reach or locked.
Replace medication and the toxic agents immediately, and replace child protector caps properly.
Administer medication as a drug or as prescribed.
Tell children about the effect of poison and its harm to the body.
Keep harmful toxic substances out of reach of children.

Things to remember

Poison is defined as any material that, when ingested, can result in serious illness or even death.
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the widespread availability and ease of access to novel substances in commerce, industry, and medicine contribute to a rise in the occurrence of poisonings.
Accidental poisonings in children are more likely when there is a lack of supervision, a high number of youngsters in the home, inadequate living quarters, negligent storage, ready availability, a lack of time, and a lack of discipline.
Kerosene, medications, acids, pesticides, and beauty products are all examples of common poisons.
poison have a wide range of effects and can show in several ways. Breathing cessation, slow pulse rate, irritability, hypothermia or hyperthermia, ataxia, convulsions, lethargy, paralysis, loss of consciousness, vomiting, and diarrhea are all possible outcomes.
Safeguard children against poisoning by storing all medicines and other potentially poisonous substances in a secure location, and always replacing child-resistant caps after use.

Questions and Answers

Define the childhood emergency condition poisioning?

Poison is a substance that, when consumed by the body, results in physical harm or even death. The widespread use of novel substances in trade, industry, and medicine as well as their quick creation and accessibility are two factors that contribute to an increase in poisoning incidents. Curiosity, a large family, a small space, careless storage, ease of accessibility, a lack of time to watch the kids, and a lack of discipline are some risk factors that increase child poisoning accidents.

What are the types and symptoms of poisoning?

Types of poisoning

Lead poisoning
- A higher level of the heavy metal lead is what causes this type of metal poisoning and medical condition in humans and other vertebrates.
- Children's exposure to lead poisoning is most frequently caused by lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust in older buildings.
Food poisoning
- Food poisoning, often known as a food borne illness, is a disease brought on by consuming tainted food. Food for infectious microbes. The most frequent cause of food poisoning is infectious organisms, such as different bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
.Carbon monoxide poisoning
- A condition known as carbon monoxide poisoning is brought on by excessive exposure to this colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas. The ability to absorb oxygen can be severely reduced by an excessive amount of carbon monoxide in the air you breathe, which can cause severe tissue damage. The effects of carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal.

General sign and symptoms of poisoning

Different poisons function differently and exhibit themselves in a variety of ways. Stop breathing, slow heart rate, irritation, hypothermia or hyperthermia, ataxia, convulsions, lethargy, paralysis, loss of consciousness, vomiting or diarrhea, possible burns to the mouth, throat, mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, and other symptoms are a few of them.

What are the first aid measures and preventive measures of poisioning?

First Aid management

When evaluating a child's status, swiftly examine their airway, breathing, heartbeat, circulation, and consciousness.
If at all feasible, identify the poison, including the dosage and timing of consumption.
If the child has consumed a noncorrosive poison and there are no contraindications to inducing vomiting, the poison should be removed by inducing vomiting with Ipecac syrup at a dose of 10-15 ml for children under 10 and 30 ml for those over 10.
To seek medical attention for caustic poisoning, call right away.
If a poisonous substance is on the skin's surface, wash it off with plain water.
Only a clear reason should be given for gastric lavage.
By keeping the child's head lower than his chest, putting his head between his legs, or placing him on his side, you can prevent vomit aspiration.
If a kid is unconscious, begin mouth-to-mouth respiration if the poisoning is noncorrosive; however, if the poisoning is corrosive, do not administer mouth-to-mouth respiration.
Keep the kid warm and cozy.
Support the child and parents by maintaining a calm and quiet environment, and take the victim as soon as you can to a medical facility.

Poisoning prevention

Store all potentially dangerous substances and agents in secured containers or out of reach.
Replace poisonous substances and medications right away, and correctly replace child safety caps.
Give medications as prescribed or as a drug.
Explain to kids the effects of poison and how they can harm the body.
Keep poisonous, harmful substances out of children's reach.