First Aid For...
Swallowed Poison

The first aid for swallowed poison you give before help arrives can save a life.

Poisoning can occur from vitamins, over the counter medications, carbon monoxide poisoning, household plants and paints.

This page is available as a PDF download.

You will need Adobe Reader to view this file. You can get it free here.

Causes

• Medicines including aspirin
• Household cleaners
• Carbon monoxide poisoning from furnaces, space heaters and fires
• Insecticides
• Household plants - some are poisonous
• Paints
• Certain foods - food poisoning

Symptoms

Symptoms can vary greatly, they may include:

• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Coughing
• Bluish lips
• Difficulty breathing
• Dizziness
• Double vision
• Drowsiness
• Fever
• Headache
• Heart Palpitations
• Lose of appetite
• Lose of bladder control
• Muscle Twitching
• Numbness or tingling
• Seizures
• Skin rash or burns
• Unconsciousness
• Unusual breath odor
• Weakness

First Aid for Swallowed Poison

• The very first act is to call you local Poison Control Center
  1-800-222-1222. This 800 number will connect you to your local center. Write the number down and stick it on your fridge
• Check the patient's breathing begin CPR if you can see no signs of breathing or a pulse.
• If you are dealing with a child under the age of one use the Infant CPR technique.
• DO NOT induce vomiting unless the Poison Control Center advices you
• If the person has eaten a plant and vomits save any of the plant parts to help identification so the proper antidote can be used
• If the patient vomits make sure the airways stay open. Clean the inside of their mouth using a towel or wash cloth over your fingers
• If the patient has a seizure or begins convulsing give convulsion first aid
• DO NOT induce vomiting unless instructed to do so
• DO NOT try any "cure all" antidotes
• DO NOT try neutralizing the poison with vinegar, lemon juice or any other substance
• DO NOT give an unconscious person anything by mouth
• DO NOT wait for symptoms to develop before seeking help

Special note. DO NOT use ipecac syrup or do anything to induce vomiting. In 2003, the American Academy of Pediatrics advised discarding ipecac in the home, saying there's no good evidence of effectiveness and that it can do more harm than good.

Return to First Aid For...from First Aid for Swallowed Poison.