Poison Safety Tips: National Poison Prevention Week is March 19-25

Friday, March 17, 2006

More than one million children ages 5 and under are accidentally poisoned each year, and 90 percent of accidental poisonings happen in the home. In addition, 40 percent of accidental poisonings of children ages 5 and under are from prescription drugs and other medications.

“Children are at significantly greater risk than adults for accidental poisoning, because they are smaller and are less able physically to handle toxic chemicals,” said Ernest Leva, MD, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. “In addition, natural curiosity and their desire to put everything in their mouths increase their poisoning risk.”

During National Poison Prevention Week (March 19-25), The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Safe Kids Middlesex County and the Level One Trauma Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital urge parents and caregivers to know the facts and help prevent these accidents.

These tips will help prevent accidental poisoning:

Store medications and poisonous household products locked and out of children’s sight and reach. Don’t leave vitamin bottles, aspirin bottles or other medications in your purse or an unlocked kitchen or bathroom cabinet and don’t put it on a kitchen or bedside table. Never leave medicines or potentially poisonous household products unattended while you are using them and never leave out loose pills. Choose medicines and products that have child-resistant caps.
Be safe when taking or administering medication and when using cleaning products. Always read labels, follow directions and give medicines to children based on their weights and ages. Only use the dispensers packaged with children’s medications. Avoid confusion by keeping all medicines and household products in their original packages. Don’t mix different cleaning products together, and throw away old medicines and cleaning products.
Don’t refer to medicine or vitamins as candy or personal products as toys. Children should not think of therapeutic substances as treats or makeup and hair care products as toys.
Keep activated charcoal on hand to be used only on the advice of a poison control center or a physician. Ipecac syrup should no longer be used as a home treatment strategy.
Know the National Poison Control Center phone number: 800-222-1222. Post the number by each phone in case of an emergency. It is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is New Jersey’s largest free-standing, state-designated acute care children’s hospital. The hospital, under the clinical leadership of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, serves the healthcare needs of children from New Jersey and beyond, bringing the full spectrum of comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties and nationally-recognized services to pediatric patients.

Safe Kids Middlesex County
Sake Kids Middlesex County is the local affiliate of the Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children ages 14 and under. Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is the lead agency for Safe Kids Middlesex County.

Level One Trauma Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital is home to the state-designated Level 1 Trauma Center for the six counties of Central New Jersey. A skilled shock/trauma team including physicians, neurosurgeons, pediatric surgeons and specially-trained nurses is available 24 hours a day.

Attention members of the media: For more information on this release, please contact the Department of Public Relations (732) 937-8521.

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