Poisoning in children

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What is it about ?

Poisoning in children is usually the result of an accident. Each child goes through a phase where he puts everything in his mouth. Most substances, swallowed or not, are harmless. On the other hand, there are some very dangerous products, even in small quantities. These are available and accessible products used for cleaning or treating parents:

  • petroleum products;
  • hydrocarbons;
  • household alcohol substitutes;
  • strongly corrosive materials;
  • certain drugs for adults.

From school age, intoxication can be associated with experiences, taking narcotics or to suicide attempts.

What to do if you suspect poisoning?

  • Limit the immediate danger as much as possible: empty the child’s mouth and eliminate the toxic substance.
  • Check to see if the child is still conscious, reacting, and breathing and heart rate are normal.
  • Seek immediate medical attention if symptoms are severe.
  • Immediately flush toxic substance from skin or eyes with plenty of running water.
  • Try to find out what substance the child has swallowed and estimate the minimum and maximum amount of the toxic substance swallowed. You will quickly realize this when you see how far a bottle is empty or how many tablets are missing from a medicine box. Save the packaging and call the Poison Control Center on 070 245 245 to ask what you can and should do and what you should not do.
  • If the toxicant has been taken by mouth, the first-line treatment may be to give activated charcoal. Call the Poison Control Center to find out if it is recommended for your child’s situation. Activated charcoal binds the toxic substance and reduces its absorption by the intestinal wall of the body.
    • Administer activated charcoal to the child within 1 hour of ingestion of the poisonous substance. Then the effect diminishes. The sooner you take these measures after the accident, the more effective they will be. A delay of just 30 minutes can already be critical.
    • Activated charcoal is not effective in binding certain substances, such as iron and products containing alcohol. In this case, gastric lavage should be performed or vomiting should be induced.
    • Do not administer activated carbon if corrosive substances or petroleum products have been ingested. Also, do not make the child vomit for these substances. These products can end up in the lungs and cause dangerous complications. In this case, it is urgent to perform gastric lavage.
    • You can store activated charcoal at home, which can shorten the start of treatment by at least 15-30 minutes and significantly improve the prognosis.
  • Prevention is essential. Keep toxic substances and medicines in a locked place, out of the reach of children.

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Source

Foreign clinical practice guide ‘Poisoning in children’ (2007), updated on 01.12.2016 and adapted to the Belgian context on 15.03.2020 – ebpracticenet