Florida Newlsetter
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FLORIDA POISON INFORMATION CENTER NETWORK CENTERS IN: JACKSONVILLE ● MIAMI ● TAMPA Fall 2011 —- Volume 2, Issue 3 —- www.fpicn.org FEATURED THIS ISSUE When sniffing has deadly consequences Stock your hurricane Kids call it ―huffing,‖ ―sniffing‖ and Experts at the Florida Poison Infor- safety kit with Poison Help ―bagging,‖ and it’s not a harmless child- mation Center Network and the Ameri- hood game. In fact, it’s inhalant abuse, can Association of Poison Control Cen- Safety counts when and it’s dangerous and deadly. ters recommend these steps to help pro- using art supplies Inhalant abuse is the tect your children from deliberate breathing of a inhalant abuse: Melatonin fume or gas for an imme- Education is the key diate, intense and usually to prevention. Begin to JACKSONVILLE: brief ―high.‖ Children as teach your children about Shands Jacksonville/ young as 10 try inhalants, the dangers of inhalants University of Florida and abuse peaks among in elementary grades. It’s 655 West 8th Street children ages 13 to 15. important to let them Box C-23 Jacksonville, FL 32209 Unfortunately, it’s an know that these products 904.244.4465 office all-too-common practice are dangerous poisons 904.244.4063 fax – nearly one of every that cause harm if used www.fpicjax.org seven eighth-graders has incorrectly. Continue to tried inhalants. discuss the issue openly MIAMI: According to the Flori- as children become Jackson Memorial Hospital da Poison Information teens. University of Miami Center Network and the Be a good role model Miller School of Medicine American Association of Institute Annex, 3rd Floor in safe use of chemical 1611 NW 12th Avenue Poison Control Centers, the list of com- products. Always read and follow la- Miami, FL 33136 mon household products children inhale bel instructions, ventilate properly and 305-585-5250 office to get high is staggering: adhesives, nail store them safely. Require adult super- 305-545-9762 fax polish remover, butane lighters, aerosol www.miamipoison.org vision when children use these prod- deodorant, gasoline, spray paints, air con- ucts. ditioner refrigerants, air duster, perma- Be on the alert for signs of inhalant TAMPA: nent markers and many more. These abuse. Some important clues that Tampa General Hospital products are cheap and easy to get, and someone may be abusing inhalants One Davis Medical Building, many adults don’t realize their danger. Suite 203 include chemical odors on breath or Tampa, Florida 33606 Just how dangerous are they? A child clothes, paint or other stains on skin or 813.844.7044 office who has abused inhalants may seem clothing, lots of empty product con- 813.844.4443 fax drunk, with symptoms like confusion, tainers, smelly rags or bags, and fre- www.poisoncentertampa.org slurred speech, lack of coordination and quently red or runny eyes or nose. passing out. Inhalants can kill a child by Get help if you think a child may be AMERICAN ASSOCIATION triggering an irregular heartbeat and heart using inhalants. If you think someone OF POISON CONTROL failure – even for a first-time inhaler. is high from inhalants, keep calm; CENTERS Some people high on inhalants have died overexcitement can cause a dangerous 515 King St. as a result of serious injuries such as Suite 510 heartbeat. Get the person into fresh air. Alexandria, VA. 22314 drowning or falling. Plus, inhalants can Call your poison center at 1-800-222 www.aapcc.org permanently damage a child’s brain, -1222 for immediate, expert treat- bone marrow, lungs and other organs. ment advice. Stock your hurricane kit with Poison Help It’s that time of year again --- hurricane season. Bites and stings – During storms, bugs, spiders To prepare, many people in the Eastern and and snakes get displaced along with human resi- Southern U.S. have assembled disaster kits com- dents. People can come across snakes in their plete with food, water, medicines, important docu- damaged homes or in temporary shelters. Poison ments and supplies. What they may have forgotten control centers around the country are familiar is something simple but very important -— the na- with local venomous animals and can walk callers tionwide 1-800-222-1222 Poison Help phone num- through important first aid techniques for all sorts ber. of bites The doctors, nurses and pharmacists and who staff your local poison control center stings, provide help 24 hours a day, seven days a as well week, 365 days a year --- even during as deter- emergencies. Poison centers have disaster mine plans in place so that if one center is dam- whether aged by a hurricane or other emergency, further calls from that area can be routed immedi- emer- ately to another center for seamless cover- gency age. In a disaster, this may be the only care is route to medical assistance. neces- Many poison emergencies happen in the sary. period during and after natural disasters. The Typical storm-related dangers include: Florida Gasoline-powered generators – In 2009, nearly Poison Information Center Network and the 12,500 people called poison centers about carbon American Association of Poison Control Centers monoxide exposures, 97 percent of whom were offer the following tips to protect your family unintentionally exposed. According to the U.S. from poisonings associated with natural disasters: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more Include the Poison Help phone number in your than 400 Americans die each year from uninten- disaster plan, and program your cell phone with tional carbon monoxide poisoning, more than the nationwide, toll free number: 1-800-222-1222. 20,000 visit emergency rooms, and more than Keep your phone charged, and limit calls to emer- 4,000 are hospitalized. gencies. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common Secure all routine medications and necessary poison-related cause of hospitalization and death chemicals in watertight containers with their orig- after hurricanes. It is called a ―silent killer‖ be- inal labels intact. Without accurate product infor- cause there are no odors or symptoms that signal mation, poison centers are limited in how much a problem. When people use generators improper- information they can provide. ly --- too close to homes, in garages or outside Carefully follow the manufacturer’s safety in- bedroom windows --- carbon monoxide can seep structions for gasoline-powered generators. If you in and sicken or even kill. believe you have been exposed to carbon monox- Power outages – In the dark, people often con- ide, call your poison center immediately. fuse their medicines and take the wrong one or Keep a full first aid kit with your disaster sup- too much. Many foods begin to spoil within hours plies, including an up-to-date list of all medica- of getting warm, and the ―sniff test‖ is not fool- tions taken routinely by household members. proof in determining if food has gone bad. Some- Hopefully, you won’t need to call your local poi- times people store supplies such as chemicals or son center during hurricane season this year, but if medicine in old food containers. This can lead to you do, you’ll be glad you stocked your disaster kit ―look-alike‖ poisonings if family members mis- with Poison Help! take one product for another. 2 Safety counts when using art supplies What child doesn’t love to draw, paint and color? What lashes. Worse, ―super glue‖ can cause serious dam- parent doesn’t have a refrigerator covered in children’s age to the eye’s cornea. artwork? It’s important to keep in mind, however, that art If children swallow small products are a mixture of chemi- amounts of water-based paint – cals that deserve respect and care- including latex, tempera and ful handling to avoid poison expo- poster paint – poisoning is not sures. likely. Some latex paints do When glues, paints, ink and contain measurable amounts of other art supplies are handled cor- glycols, so poisoning could rectly, children can safely enjoy happen if someone swallows a art activities. However, young very large amount. Oil-based children often like to taste pretty, paints contain solvents that can colorful art products, and older cause poisoning if swallowed. children may be exposed if some The Florida Poison Information is splashed into eyes or spilled Center Network and the American onto skin. Association of Poison Control In 2009, the nation’s 57 poison Centers recommend the following control centers received more than safety tips: 35,000 calls about exposures to art products; of these, Read the label carefully, and follow all instructions more than 26,000 calls concerned children younger than for safe use and disposal. 6. Although most exposures cause only minor effects, and very few require treatment by a doctor, it’s still im- Discard products that have passed their expiration portant to handle art supplies with care. dates. The following are some of the art supplies that often Do not eat or drink while using art products. cause concern: Wash up – skin, equipment and environment – after Chalk contains calcium, and swallowing some typical- use. ly does not cause poisoning. More serious problems Never use products to paint skin or decorate food un- can occur if the chalk lodges in the throat or is breathed less it is specifically labeled for that use. into the windpipe, blocking the airway and causing Store art products in their original containers locked coughs, difficulty breathing, or wheezing. up and out of the reach of children. Water-soluble markers usually don’t cause harm. When choosing art supplies for use by children, consid- Most other felt-tip markers don’t cause poisoning er the product’s certification. Many art supplies are im- if small amounts of the ink are swallowed.