National Poison Prevention Week: March 20 to 26

Published: March 22, 2016 | Updated: September 28, 2022

What do button batteries, medications and cleaning products have in common? They’re three of the items on the list of seven surprising poisons provided by the Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center of Norton Children’s Hospital to raise awareness during National Poison Prevention Week, March 20 to 26.

“Our No. 1 goal is to educate the public about potential poison hazards in and around their home,” said Ashley Webb, board-certified toxicologist and director of the Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center. “We want them to know that if a child or adult is exposed to a poison, the poison control center should be called as soon as possible.”

The poison control center’s phone number is (800) 222-1222. Everyone is encouraged to program this number into their mobile phones during National Poison Prevention Week. This number works throughout the country and will automatically direct callers to the nearest poison control center. Poison control center services are provided at no direct charge to the public.

Seven surprising poisons:

• Magnets and batteries: Button or disc batteries can cause severe burns in the esophagus if swallowed. Swallowing a single magnet can be a choking hazard, but if more than one magnet is swallowed or a magnet is swallowed with a piece of metal, it can cause serious and even fatal consequences if the two make contact while in different parts of the bowel.
• Your own medication: Even medication you take on a regular basis can be harmful if taken in the wrong amount or at the wrong time. Be sure to follow the dosing instructions on the medication packaging and keep all medication out of reach of children.
• Cleaning products: Many products are brightly colored and attractive to children, therefore they should be stored up and out of reach. Adults should use caution when mixing cleaning products, as contact with the eyes can cause simple irritation to damaging abrasions to the surface of the eye, to blindness. If swallowed, many of these products can cause symptoms that may be severe depending on the product. The poison control center specialists can help you decide on the best course of action if exposed.
• Furnace/fireplace: Malfunctioning furnaces and fireplaces can produce carbon monoxide, a potentially lethal gas. This is colorless and odorless — a truly silent killer.  Make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector on every level of your home.
• Caffeine: Consuming excessive caffeine through energy drinks or supplements can lead to toxic levels. Symptoms of caffeine overdose range from vomiting and rapid heartbeat to disorientation, seizures and heart arrhythmias that could be fatal.
• Tobacco and nicotine: All tobacco and nicotine products are harmful if swallowed, such as when a child decides to eat a cigarette butt (it happens!). But many nicotine products, including tobacco leaves themselves, are harmful if they come into contact with the skin. Nicotine such as that found in an e-cigarette cartridge or refill bottle can be absorbed through the skin and enter the bloodstream. High levels of nicotine have been fatal.
• Natural/homemade products: Cleaning and personal care products labeled as “all natural” or made at home can still be harmful if swallowed. The products and any ingredients used to make them should be stored up and out of reach of children. It may sound safe, but products such as tea tree oil can make you ill.

Visit KRPCC.com,the website of the Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center of Norton Children’s Hospital, for more information about how to prevent poisoning.

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About the Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center of Norton Children’s Hospital
The primary mission of the Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center of Norton Children’s Hospital is to reduce illness and death from poisoning in Kentucky. The center provides 24/7 free and confidential access to specially trained nurses, pharmacists and physicians who are certified in toxicology. They are specialists in communicating advice to health care professionals, first responders, patients, parents, family members, the general public and the media. Some of the more common calls received involve medications, tobacco products, household cleaning products, plants and personal care items. Calls also are answered about work-related exposures in farming and industry, food poisoning, insect and snake bites, and a variety of other potential hazards.

On average, the poison control center’s hotline at (800) 222-1222 receivesa call every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — more than 60,000 calls annually — from all of Kentucky’s 120 counties. Three of every four patients from those calls are successfully managed safely and inexpensively at home, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits and/or shortening hospital stays.

The poison control center coordinates public and professional education programs focusing on poison prevention and treatment throughout the state. A variety of educational materials are provided, including pamphlets, telephone stickers, magnets, audiovisual materials, lectures and exhibits. More information is available atKRPCC.com.