What should I do if my child has swallowed poison?

Do not panic! Remain calm and call a poison centre as soon as possible

In most cases, children will require little or no treatment following an exposure to something poisonous.

If the child is awake

Remain calm
Protect yourself from poisoning
Call the Toxicology Centre on 23640402.
Do not make child vomit (vomiting is not effective at removing a swallowed substance. Vomit can sometimes be inhaled into the lungs, causing lung injury.
Bring the medicine or chemical container to phone if possible
A small amount of water can be given if the substance is corrosive or irritating (household cleaners). Do not give any fluids if a child has ingested too much medicine.

If the child is sleepy or unconscious:

If the child is not breathing or does not have a pulse

Following eye exposures:

Flush eye with room-temperature water for at least 15 minutes (do not use an eye bath or eye drops)
Get eye examination performed at Medical Center or Hospital.

What happens at the hospital?

Children who need assessment at the hospital may require:

Medical observation for a set time period
Activated charcoal. This is sometimes given as a slurry to adsorb some of the poison from the stomach. It may not be effective in some cases.
Monitoring of heart, lungs, breathing, fluids and salts depending on what they were poisoned by.

Sometimes more treatment might be needed, such as specific antidotes

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