National Poison Prevention Week: Poisonings Kill About 30 Children Annually, Cause 1 Million Calls to Poison Centers
Press Release # 00-077
Transcript
View of William W. Bradley, Chairman, Poison Prevention Week Council ; name and title at bottom of screen.
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Adult playing with kids on floor, surrounded by toys.
Janis Guerney thought her home was safe, (view of woman) all of the obvious poisons were out of reach, (view of woman reading a book with child) and all of her medications were in child-resistant packages, (another angle of woman reading with child) but like most of us, there was something she hadn't thought of, (woman putting baby on changing table, with other child standing on the side) it seemed innocent enough keeping hand sanitizing gel (gel pump bottle) at her baby's changing table, (baby on changing table, adult rubbing gel on her hands), until four year old Erin swallowed some.
(Janis Guerney speaking) "I called the Poison Control Center and told them what had happened, and um, what he had ingested, and um, they were reassuring, first of all, saying well it's probably not going to be a problem, but you need to give him something sweet to drink."
(Adult running behind child down the street and turning into the house) Luckily Erin was fine, Janet Scurney's call is one of (inside of poison control center office) more than a million handled by Poison Control Centers across the nation every year.
Poison Prevention Center Representative speaking into a phone head set and looking at computer screen)"Hi, this is the poison center, this is Shannon checking back to see how Carter is doing" (another center representative talking on a hand held phone), and most of those calls are handled over the phone", (close-up keyboard keys being clicked), saving the time and money of a trip to the hospital or doctor.
(View of poster reading: "National Poison Prevention Week" and council meeting in progress) The Poison Prevention Week Council is warning parents and caregivers to check their home this week. (adult in bathroom putting away all medications and other harmful products) Make sure all medications and household chemicals are out of children's sight and reach, (close-up of phone and yellow paper with number on it) and that the Poison Control Center number is handy, (medications being put in medicine cabinet) and keep all medications and chemicals in their original containers.
(Close-up of open cabinet, cups, and two medicine bottles inside) You should have a bottle of "syrup of ipecac" on hand in case the poison center recommends using it. (close-up of syrup bottle)
This is Meredith Resnick reporting.
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