Poisons enter the body in a number of different ways:
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via mouth - eating/drinking
via {lungs} - inhalation
via skin - sting, bite, absorption or hypodermic syringe
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GENERAL TREATMENT: Quickly ask patient what happened (they may lose consciousness any time), try to identify substance ingested or cause of bite/sting, !b! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INDUCE VOMITING.
!n! If lips/mouth show signs of burning, cool by giving water or milk slowly.
Transfer to hospital urgently, with samples of vomit & any evidence of poisonous cause (e.g. pill boxes, plant, etc.).
Natural curiosity puts young children particularly at risk from swallowing household bleaches & cleaning fluids, which are poisons. !b! Keep all such items out of the reach of children !n! - poisoning is not only dangerous, but also very painful. Serious poisoning requires a life-saving technique - {stomach pump}, an uncomfortable & grim method of clearing poisonous stomach contents.
