11.3.4: Poisoning

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Erin O'Hara-Leslie, Amdra C. Wade, Kimberly B. McLain, SUNY Broome

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If Home Health Aides/Personal Care Aides suspect or know that poisoning has occurred, they should try to determine the source of the poison. This is important information which they will need to provide to Poison Control in order for them to best help. Look for nearby medications, chemicals and cleaning solutions that the patient may have ingested.

Immediately call Poison Control and follow their directions. The treatment for poisons depends on the type of poison that was ingested. Notify a supervisor as soon as feasible. Never try to make a patient vomit, unless specifically instructed to do so. Some chemicals may cause severe harm if they come back up the esophagus (throat) during vomiting.

If the poison is a dry powder or solid substance, and you can safely do so, with a gloved hand brush off the poison and rinse the contaminated area with plenty of water for at least 20 minutes (American Heart Association, 2011).

If the poison affected the eye, the person should rinse their eye with plenty of water, making sure the eye containing the poison is the lower eye, the closest to the bottom of the sink while rinsing (American Heart Association, 2011). This will prevent the unaffected eye from getting poison in it.

If the poison is within the air, such as a chemical or if a person has experienced exposure to carbon monoxide, contact emergency medical services, and get the person out of the area and into an area with fresh air, if it is safe to do so.

Document all poisonings and steps taken to provide care. You may be asked to complete an incident report, if required by your agency. All patients who have suffered from poisoning should be assessed by their healthcare provider.