Contents:
- Medical Video: First Aid Treatment for Poisoning
- First aid for poisoning varies
- What are the symptoms of poisoning that often occur?
- When do you have to take the victim to the hospital?
- What should be done while waiting for help?
Medical Video: First Aid Treatment for Poisoning
Poisoning is a condition caused by swallowing, kissing, touching, or injecting various kinds of drugs, chemicals, poisons, or gases. Poisoning not only endangers health, but can also cause death. Not only from poisons, some substances that can be found everyday such as drugs and carbon monoxide can also be dangerous if you are exposed to high concentrations or doses. And other substances such as floor cleaners can be toxic if swallowed. Children are very sensitive to certain drugs and chemicals even in small quantities. Therefore, it is important to know the first aid measures for poisoning.
First aid for poisoning varies
How to treat someone who may be poisoned depends on:
- symptoms that the victim showed
- age of the victim
- do you know the type and amount of substances that cause poisoning
If you suspect potential poisoning of someone or yourself, contact Halo BPOM at 1500533 or contact a Poison Information Center (SIKer) in your area. SIKer is the best source for information about poisoning, and in many conditions, can recommend that home care is sufficient. You can see the national and regional SIKer telephone numbers here.
What are the symptoms of poisoning that often occur?
Symptoms of poisoning can resemble other conditions, such as seizures, alcoholism, stroke, and insulin response. Signs and symptoms of poisoning can include:
- burning or redness around the mouth and lips
- breath smells like chemicals, like gasoline or paint thinners
- gag
- respiratory disorders
- sleepy
- absent-minded (concussion) or other mental change problems
If you suspect poisoning, beware of signs such as empty bottles or pill packs, scattered pills, and burns, stains, and odors on the victim or nearby objects. In children, check the possibility that he might have pressed the medication patch or swallowed a small battery.
When do you have to take the victim to the hospital?
Call 119 or an emergency telephone number in your area, or immediately rush to the hospital, if the poisoning victim experiences one of these things:
- sleepy or unconscious
- experience breathing problems or stop breathing
- feeling uncontrollable or nervous
- experience a seizure
- known to have taken drugs, or other substances, or accidentally overdose (in this situation, poisoning usually involves large amounts of drugs or substances, and often accompanied by alcohol consumption).
Call the National Poison Information Center (SIKer) at 0813-1082-6879 in Jakarta, Indonesia, or contact your Regional SIKer if it occurs:
- the victim is stable and shows no signs
- the victim will be transferred to the emergency department in your area
Be prepared to explain information about the victim regarding symptoms, age, weight, medication he uses, and other information you know about the cause of poisoning. Try to determine the amount of poison that has been swallowed and how long it has been since the victim was exposed to the poison. If possible, bring a pill bottle, drug packaging, or other suspicious container so that you can refer to the label when reporting to the SIKer.
What should be done while waiting for help?
Do the following while waiting for help to come:
- For swallowed poisons: Get rid of whatever is still in the victim's mouth. If poisons are suspected to be home cleaning or other chemicals, read the container label and follow the guidelines for accidental poisoning.
- For skin-touched poisons: Get rid of contaminated clothing using gloves. Wash the skin for 15 to 20 minutes in running water.
- For toxins that get into the eye: Rinse eyes with cool or lukewarm water for 20 minutes or until help arrives.
- For poisons that are inhaled by the nose: Bring the victim to fresh air as soon as possible.
- If the victim vomits, tilt your head to the side to prevent choking.
- If the victim shows no signs of life, such as not moving, breathing, or coughing, immediately do cardiac resuscitation (CPR).
Contact the National Poison Information Center (SIKer) at 0813-1082-6879 in Jakarta, Indonesia, or contact your Regional SIKer for further guidance.
Make sure someone brings a pill bottle, labeled packaging or container, and other information about the poison together with the ambulance team.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
