Accidental poisoning may be described as the “unintentional act of poisoning that may cause injury”.

We may be exposed to poisons in various ways. I will illustrate this point with three stories.

STORY 1

STORY 1

A few weeks ago a frantic parent rushed her toddler to my office stating that the child had just eaten rat poison. The story was that there were rats in the house and rat poison (the bright blue “bricks”) had been placed in the house.

The curious baby ate the poison. As I referred her to the hospital I thought, “If I were a baby I would probably put that ‘pretty-looking sweetie’ in my mouth!”.

The child is now well.

STORY 2

STORY 2

I visited a hardware store to purchase paint thinner. I was given the thinner in two bottles — a two litre WATA® water bottle and a 600ml cranberry WATA® bottle (which still contained remnants of the juice that the store attendant had been drinking).

Both bottles had on their original labels. The two-litre bottle that contained the thinner looked identical to a bottle of water. I refused to take the bottles. The attendant declared that he was not doing anything wrong and the only thing that he could do was remove the labels.

This he did with a scary-looking knife.

I took the unlabelled bottles (no need to argue with a man who has a sharp knife in his hand) and hurried off to affix proper labels to the bottles. Point to note: Thinner should not be sold in plastic bottles.

STORY 3

STORY 3

My mother of blessed memory was given a glass of cold bleach to drink while she was attending a function at a hotel.

ACCIDENTAL POISONINGS

ACCIDENTAL POISONINGS

An accidental poisoning is an unfortunate and usually preventable cause of death and disability in infants and children.

Many categories of potentially toxic substances can be found within a child’s environment. The nature of a young child predisposes him/her to explore the surroundings. As children grow and learn to be independent, they are compelled to investigate new and interesting objects and places.

The influence of growth and development on accidental poisonings is very important during the toddler and preschool age groups.

In 2015, 434 cases of accidental poisoning were reported to the Surveillance Unit of Jamaica’s Ministry of Health.

One hundred and twenty-seven (or 30 per cent) of these suspected cases were confirmed while six (one per cent) were discarded as intentional poisonings.

Investigations of these poisoning cases indicated that most:

1) Occurred within homes;

2) Occurred as a result of improper storage and location; and

3) Were linked to children who were left unsupervised.

Eighty-eight per cent of the confirmed cases of accidental poisoning for 2015 occurred in infants and young children under the age of five years. Of this number, 87 per cent occurred in children two years and younger. These results are consistent with results from previous years.

There is no such thing as childproof

By the age of 18 months or earlier, children can open containers, and by age three years they may also be able to open child-resistant tops.

Children will break into tamper-proof bottles if given enough time, so parents should keep medications high and locked away. Always keep in mind “out of sight, out of reach, out of mind”.

Although convenient for adults, parents should think carefully about transferring medications to tablet boxes as this makes it difficult to: 1) identify what a child may have accidentally swallowed and 2) treat the poisoning.

THIS IS NOT CANDY

In 2015, pharmaceuticals such as painkillers, cough medicine and oral contraceptive pills contributed to 20 per cent of cases of accidental poisoning in Jamaica. Many medications and vitamins are colourful and sugar-coated. Parents should desist from tricking children into taking their medicine by pretending that the medicine is candy.

On the other hand, parents should not take their own medication in the presence of their children. if this has to be done, the child should be clearly told “this is not candy”. This will minimise confusion.

BE VIGILANT

BE VIGILANT

To children, bleach looks like water. Bleach remains the causative agent implicated in the majority of accidental poisoning cases in Jamaica (31 per cent of cases in 2015). Also in 2015, pesticides were responsible for nine per cent and kerosene for two per cent of accidental poisonings. Other poisons such as caustic soda, silica gel, gasoline, hair creme, drain cleaner, paint thinner, glue, and shampoo contributed to 37 per cent of the cases.

The Caribbean Poison Information Network (CARPIN) has stated that one of the main causes of poisoning in Jamaican children 0-5 years old is that of adults placing pesticides and chemicals in food containers, for example soda, water, syrup or Chubby bottles.

Let us look at a bottle that contains a yellow-brown liquid in it. If it is in the refrigerator, it may be apple juice, if it is the wash/laundry room it may be a cleaner. The liquids look the same and are sometimes stored in bottles that are very similar, and a young child tends not be able to tell the difference.

In the last few years, products like laundry/dishwasher detergent pods, e-cigarettes (and their cartridges), room deodorisers, and energy drinks have all become very popular. These products contain highly concentrated chemicals and are at times scented or flavoured. They are attractive to children,but they are dangerous for younger children and must be kept out of their reach.

In 2017, CARPIN will be advocating for a policy for bleach packaging, labelling and distribution by chemical retailers.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD INGESTS A POISON

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD INGESTS A POISON

Call for help as soon as the thought crosses your mind. It is better to raise a false alarm than to be faced with an avoidable tragedy.

Call 1-888-POISONS (1-888-764-7667), the toll-free poison information line operated by CARPIN.

REMINDER

REMINDER

Store medicines, chemicals, cleaning products, pesticide, and rat poison in their original containers and in locked, out-of-reach cupboards. Dispose of any of these unwanted agents safely.

Dr Jacqueline E Campbell is a family physician, university lecturer and pharmacologist. She is the author of the bookA patient’s guide to the treatment of diabetes mellitus. She is a member of the management committee of the Caribbean Poison Information Network.Email: drjcampbell14@yahoo.com

Dr Jacqueline E Campbell is a family physician, university lecturer and pharmacologist. She is the author of the book

A patient’s guide to the treatment of diabetes mellitus

. She is a member of the management committee of the Caribbean Poison Information Network.

Email: drjcampbell14@yahoo.com