Poison Control tells you what to do if you swallow, splash, or get stung by something that might be harmful.
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Call 911 right away if the individual collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can’t be awakened.
Mixed up your meds? Found a loose pill? Worried that your refill looks different? Fortunately, most medications can be identified from the letters and numbers imprinted on the pill.
Start identifying a pill
Poisonings increase when families travel and when there's a change in the usual routine. When on the road, keep medicines locked in a suitcase or other container, not in handbags or diaper bags.
Swallowed batteries burn through a child's esophagus in just 2 hours, leading to surgery, months with feeding and breathing tubes, and even death. About the size of a nickel, 20 mm, 3-volt lithium coin cells are the most hazardous as they are big enough to get stuck and burn faster. Secure battery compartments and keep loose batteries away from children.
Electronic cigarettes (e-Cigs) are devices made to look like real cigarettes. They contain a battery, a heater, and liquid nicotine. When heated, the nicotine liquid becomes a vapor, which users inhale. Liquid nicotine products contain flavorings and something to help the product vaporize. Liquid nicotine products are very poisonous if swallowed.
It's not an intriguing or novel hazard, just the persistent, invisible killer: carbon monoxide. Seriously, you still don't have a carbon monoxide alarm in every sleeping area of your home? Get one! And keep fuel-burning appliances in good repair; don't use grills or gasoline-powered tools indoors, and don't run your car in an attached garage or place a generator close to your home.
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Glass Christmas ornaments can be attractive to young children and can break easily. Stepping or crawling on the glass is a problem, but some ornaments also contain lead, mercury, or methylene chloride, which can poison children if they touch, taste, or swallow them. Even though they are sharp, small glass pieces usually pass through the digestive tract uneventfully.
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Learn the Poison Help jingle in English or Spanish. Use it to teach the U.S. poison control number 1-800-222-1222! There are 55 poison centers in the U.S. Your call will be routed to the center that serves you, based on your area code and exchange. The jingle is available for download. Play it over and over until it "sticks"!
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