First Aid

Poisoning: what to do

What to do if someone has swallowed something harmful, and who to ring for advice on the substance.

Because the antidote depends entirely on what was swallowed.

Do this now

01Ring 108, and the National Poison Information Centre on 1800 116 117 — they advise around the clock.
02Find the container, packet or bottle and take it with you. The label decides the treatment more than any symptom does.
03Note what was swallowed, roughly how much, and when.
04If it is on the skin, remove contaminated clothing and rinse the skin with lots of water.
05If it is in the eye, rinse with clean running water for at least 20 minutes.
06Keep them sitting up and awake if you can. If they are unconscious but breathing, roll them onto their side.

Do not make them vomit. With acids, alkalis, phenyl, kerosene and other petroleum products, bringing it back up burns the throat a second time and can flood the lungs.
Do not give salt water, milk, ghee or any home remedy to "neutralise" it. None of them work and they delay real treatment.
Do not give anything to drink unless a doctor or the poison centre tells you to.
Do not leave them alone, even briefly, if this may have been deliberate.

See the nearest places with distance, whether they are open, a phone number and directions.

How serious a dose is — that depends on the substance, the amount and their body weight
Many poisons cause no symptoms at all for several hours, and pesticides can worsen suddenly