Poisoning

Apoison is any substance that causes illness, injury, or death if it enters the body. Most poisoning episodes take place in the home, are accidental, and occur in children under the age of 5 years. Poisoning usually involves common substances such as cleaning agents, medications, and pesticides. For most poisonous substances the reaction is more serious in children and the elderly than in adults.

Poison control centers are valuable resources that are easily accessible to medical personnel and the community. There are more than 500 regional poison control centers across the United States; most are located in the emergency departments of large hospitals. These centers are staffed by personnel who have access to information about almost all poisonous substances. Most of the centers are staffed 24 hours a day, and calls are toll free. There is also a National Poison Control Hotline number (1-800-222-1222), which can be called 24 hours a day.

A poison can enter the body in four ways: ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection. Each of these is described here along with the corresponding emergency care