Everyone at some point has cringed while watching the Hollywood version of their profession butchered in a movie. For example, law enforcement hates how police are shown jumping rooftops, forensics experts take minutes to find evidence, and attorneys take a couple hours in a courtroom to convict a perpetrator. We in the poison business have … more
For years the IPC has received calls involving a child getting into laundry detergent. Luckily, an unintentional taste of powder or liquid laundry detergent by a child is expected to cause minimal toxicity: throat or stomach irritation at the worst. In fact, most children don’t develop any symptoms at all. However, over the past couple … more
The “chirping” you hear this spring may not be the birds outside your window One day you’re awakened by the sound of your smoke alarm with no signs of smoke or gas leaks, what do you do? This “chirping” or “beeping” sound could possibly be a sign that your detector has a low battery. … more
It is my turn to write the blog and for the past few days, colleagues have been after me to write something kind of sexy, but with a poisoning angle. The problem is that now that I have qualified to join AARP, I am unsure that I can replicate a summary of sexually transmitted toxins … more
If you are a regular reader of IPC’s blog, you know that we can get some pretty wild calls. In honor of T-day 2011, here are some of the most bizarre food-related Thanksgiving calls our staff has gotten over the years. Jessica S, PIP* The most memorable Thanksgiving call that sticks out in my head … more
If you are a babysitter/sitter/nanny, or ever entrust your precious progeny to one of them, then this article is for you. About half of the IPC’s 80,000 exposures every year involve kids age 5 and under, and more than 90% of all exposures happen in the home. I think we all would agree that keeping … more
Did you know we were in the middle of snake biting season? No we’re not suggesting that people are biting snakes this time of year, but snakes are indeed biting people. During the months of May-October, more snake bite incidents are recorded in the U.S. than any other time of the year. Considering we are … more
