Poisoning

Recently Answered

• QIs it better to call poison control or go straight to the hospital?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A Paul T. David, MD , answered on behalf of Los Robles Regional Medical Center

  

  A trip to the emergency room would be the better choice when dealing with a patient that has been exposed to poison. In this video, I will explain the options available to an ill patient. 

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  Is It Better to Call Poison Control or Go Straight to the Hospital?
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• QHow can a person be poisoned?

  1 Answer

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  A American Red Cross answered

  A person can be poisoned by swallowing poison, breathing it, absorbing it through the skin, or by having it injected into the body.
  
• QCan safe substances be poisonous?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  Many substances that are not poisonous in small amounts are poisonous in larger amounts. Combining certain substances can result in poisoning, although if taken by themselves they might not cause harm.
• QWhat is poison?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  A poison is any substance that causes injury, illness, or death if it enters the body.
  
• QWhat poisons can be absorbed through the skin?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  Poisons that can be absorbed through the skin come from many sources including plants, such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac; fertilizers; and pesticides.
  
• QWhat information should I gather if I think someone has swallowed a poison?

  2 Answers

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  If you suspect someone has swallowed a poison, try to find out:
  

  • The type of poison
  • The quantity taken
  • When it was taken
  • How much the person weighs

  
  

  See All 2 Answers
• QWhat poisons can be swallowed?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  Poisons that can be swallowed include:
  

  • Foods, such as certain mushrooms and shellfish
  • High amounts of medications, such as aspirin, or an excessive amount of drugs, such as sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and alcohol
  • Household items, such as cleaning products and pesticides
  • Certain plants
• QHow can I tell if a person has been poisoned?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  Signs of poisoning can appear in a number of ways, from digestive issues to skin problems. These include:
  

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Chest or abdominal pain
  • Trouble breathing
  • Sweating
  • Changes in consciousness
  • Seizures
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Weakness
  • Irregular pupil size
  • Burning or tearing eyes
  • Abnormal skin color
  • Burns around the lips, tongue, or on the skin
• QWhat poisons can be inhaled?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  A person can be poisoned by breathing in toxic fumes.
  
  Examples include:
  

  • Carbon monoxide gas from an engine or car exhaust
  • Carbon dioxide gas from wells and sewers
  • Chlorine gas from swimming pools
  • Fumes from household products such as glues and paints
  • Drugs such as crack cocaine
• QWhat poisons are injected?

  1 Answer

  A

  

  A American Red Cross answered

  Injected poisons can be the bites or stings of insects, spiders, ticks, some marine life, snakes, and other animals; or drugs or medications injected with a hypodermic needle.