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The Illinois Poison Center

The Illinois Poison Center – Literally a “SPI’s Nest” of Activity

No, the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) is not a clandestine arm of the CIA, FBI, or KGB. However, it is staffed by a team of well qualified “SPIs” around the clock.  So, what exactly is a SPI you ask? Read more »

Start the Year Right: Safe New Year Resolutions

It’s that time of year when many people set out to better themselves; the turn of the calendar gives us a fresh start and a clean slate.  Here are two resolutions that have the potential for toxicity and some IPC-recommended resolutions as well. Read more »

Seniors Are at Risk for Poisoning, Too!

The following post was contributed by the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

If you are a senior adult, you may think that poison centers and poison prevention are mainly for kids. But seniors are at risk for poisoning, too!

As we age, we often take more and more medicine, whether prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin or herbal. And that means more chances to make mistakes. Read more »

Alcohol and Medicines – A Dangerous Combination

The following post was contributed by the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

‘Tis the season for holiday parties and cocktails. But did you know that alcohol and medicines often don’t mix?

The combination of alcohol and medicines, whether prescription or over-the-counter, can lead to life-threatening consequences depending on the medicine, the amount of alcohol consumed, and differences such as body size or age. Read more »

Be Safe with Holiday Evergreen Decorations

During the holiday season, evergreen plants adorn houses all over the world.  For the northern climates, the outside can be dreary, cold and devoid of life.  Decorations of green-leaved plants and bright red berries add spark and life to our homes.  Through generations of tradition, decorative plants such as holly, mistletoe and occasionally the yew plant provide a backdrop that helps bring the holiday feeling alive. Read more »

Poinsettia Plants – Poisonous or Not? Let’s Put it to Rest

Click here to catch Elmo and Patsy’s, “Percy the Puny Poinsettia.”

Nothing says the holidays quite like bright lights, trees and other decorations; and no holiday decor would seem complete without those pretty poinsettias. Although poinsettias are a fixture around many homes this time of year, calls to the IPC increase from concerned parents, Read more »

Small Stocking Stuffers Can Spell BIG Trouble

With all the fun and excitement of gift shopping and exchanging this holiday season, it is easy to buy the coolest toys and games, but some of them may be dangerous in small hands.  We want to point out two items that if swallowed by a child (or anyone for that matter) could lead to injury to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and may even pose a life threatening risk.  If swallowed, high powered magnets and button batteries may damage the lining of the stomach and intestine to such an extent that an emergency surgery may be necessary. Read more »

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Disasters

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 was about 10-11 years ago from a woman who simply asked, “Is it safe to eat a turkey that is playing jingle bells?” As the family sat down to their Thanksgiving meal, everyone began looking around asking each other, ‘where is that music coming from?’   Read more »

We’re Grateful You’re Part of Our Team!

As we approach the end of this year, we would like to thank all of you for your continued support of the IPC. The IPC is proud to play a vital role in Illinois’ health care network. Without you and others like you who carry our message and have offered personal financial support to help us continue our efforts, we would not be as successful doing our job.

For over 50 years, we have been just a phone call away; providing immediate help in handling poison emergencies throughout Illinois. Read more »

New Illinois Law Expands Allergy Treatment Options in Schools

How you would like your child’s school year to start out something like this: It is a typical day during lunchtime at the local elementary school cafeteria.  A kindergartner with a severe peanut allergy trades lunch with a friend.  Little does he know, the shared cookie contains peanut butter. The child develops a red rash, swelling around the eyes and has some trouble breathing within minutes of eating the cookie.  Pretty scary, right? The good news, schools are now better equipped to deal with life-threatening allergic reactions such as this thanks to the passage of new legislation which allows the stocking and administration of epinephrine auto-injectors (commonly referred to as Epi-pens™) in Illinois schools. Read more »

Babysitters & Nannies: Things to know before the parents go

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 children safe is the most important part of babysitting.  Potentially harmful substances come in many forms (liquids, tablets, solids, sprays and gases), and can look or smell like things that are good to eat and drink. As you know, young children are curious, and they learn about their environment by touching and placing things in their mouths.

My motto has always been, “if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail”.  The time to ask questions is before the parents walk out, and when kids are involved, always prepare for the unexpected!  Below is a list of information to gather before you are left in charge (or leave others in charge of your child(ren): Read more »

Tricky Treats to Avoid This Halloween

A common Halloween concern, aside from the occasional ghoul and goblin, is the possibility of a child or family member being exposed to tainted candy. However, we recently came across some products and practices in the news that could present new concerns this Halloween.  Here are a few that really stuck out: marijuana shaped candy, alcohol soaked gummies, and supercharged snack cakes.

Popular Pot Pops

The first story which comes out of Buffalo, New York describes the sale of candy, believe it or not, in the shape of a marijuana plant. The sale of these products, “Pot Pops,” “Potheads,” and “Ring Pots” were brought to the attention of local authorities by concerned citizens. And if the product name alone  doesn’t light a spark then maybe the slogans will: Read more »

Oh, What A Year It’s Been!

A Year of Regulatory Success for Poison Centers

As an administrator of the Illinois Poison Center, this has been a frustrating year as the program continues to have severe financial challenges.  In 2011, the IPC suffered a $400,000 loss of funding this year on top of a $600,000 funding decrease in 2009-2010. To make up the loss, the IPC has closed 2 additional positions (on top of the 5 positions terminated/closed in 2009) and the remaining full time staff was reduced to 90% time.  Difficult times indeed.

On the other hand, as a medical toxicologist committed to decreasing the incidence of exposure to hazardous substances, this has been a fabulous year for poison centers across the nation.  In no previous time has the national poison center network had such a wide impact on the regulation of emerging toxic public health threats. Previous IPC blogs have shown the types of emerging public health threats noted by poison centers. Read more »

“My Child Ate…!” Honorable Mentions

There are just way too many “My Child Ate…” scenarios for us to write about! However here are a few honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the “My Child Ate…” series but are just as important:

• “My Child Ate… The Dog’s Food”

Although it might be uberly gross to discover that your child has forgone your dinner delight for a canine cuisine, there’s no need to worry. Eating a mouthful of dog or cat food poses no immediate harm and toxicity should not be an issue. Read more »

“My Child Ate… Nature!”

Bleeeaaauuugghh!!

Nasty!!!

Eeeeeewwww!!

 How many times have you squealed aloud after discovering your child has recently delved into what they believe to be a culinary delight but you know to be just plain gross?

While getting outside to allow your brood some time to release excess energy is the primary goal, it may lead to unexpected, and often quite disgusting ingestions. Read more »

“My Child Ate…Something Around the House!”

The blog series “My Child Ate…” continues this week with us taking a look at the top ten things children are getting into around the house.  Each year, poison centers receive over one million calls involving children ages five and under.  Have you ever wondered what in the world kids are getting into? Well check out our top 10 list below:

1. Cosmetics/Personal Care Products: “It’s pretty and pink.  It’s easy to open, and looks like a  fruit drink.” Read more »

“My Child Ate…Poop!”

Welcome to the IPC’s second installment of the “my child ate…” blog series.  Last week Mike explored the dangers of prescription medications, and this week I am going to talk about stuff kids eat that is really, really gross.   Like poop, for example.  Do kids really eat poop, you may ask?  They sure do.  All shapes, sizes and species.  I can even give you a ranking of the most common poop calls we get:

1.  Human

Most of the time, for babies, this is in the form of their own poop.  It is the most common poop call because, well… it’s the most accessible—it comes right out of them! Read more »

“My Child Ate…Grandma’s Medicine”

Over the next 4 weeks the IPC staff will contribute some of their most compelling cases from the call center that often start with three words, “my child ate…” We hope you enjoy this blog series, and we encourage you to share your own “My Child Ate…” stories or your poison center experience.

There is a burgeoning fascination with the strange things children eat.  If one were to do an internet search on the three words “my child ate”, it looks like a lot of children are eating Tums, poop (yes, poop, human and pet), pennies, crayons, deodorant and a host of household products.  Going beyond internet search, the TLC channel even has a TV show on the subject and has casting calls for the show “Your Child at What?” Read more »

Mother Nature’s Most Dangerous Toxins

It’s one of the biggest poison myths of all time:  ‘all-natural’ or ‘organic’ substances are safer than their man-made or ‘chemical’ counterparts.  However, the fact is that some of the most toxic substances known to man come straight from mother earth (or her creatures).   There may be many positives about organic or all-natural products, but being inherently safer to humans is not one of them.   Please don’t make the mistake of being less than vigilant in the way you store organic cleansers, all-natural pesticides or herbal supplements.  Remember the toxicology mantra “the dosage makes it so”.   Any substance can be potentially harmful/toxic in the right amount! Read more »

Too Much of A Good Thing…

Making sense of new voluntary dosing guidelines on acetaminophen containing products: Minimizing liver damage associated with a common medicine.

Acetaminophen is one of the most common over-the-counter (OTC) medications, appearing in over 600 OTC products. It is an effective pain reliever and fever reducer when used as directed, though it can cause severe liver damage if overused. In fact, acetaminophen overdose is the most common cause of acute liver failure requiring a liver transplant in the United States. Read more »

Calling the IPC? Here’s What You Can Expect…

Over 70,000 Illinois residents call the IPC from home, work or other location every year for help regarding a potentially harmful substance. However if you’ve never called our poison center, you may be wondering how we do things around here.  Below are answers to some common questions that we hope will increase your knowledge and familiarity about calling the poison center.

What can I call the poison center for? Read more »

Truth, Dare, Double Dare…

Unfortunately, many poison exposure incidents start with 3 little words: “I dare you…”  A group of friends egging each other on, calling bravery into question (and often offering money if the dare is completed) can quickly turn a flippant suggestion into a potential medical emergency.

Here are some  dares the IPC staff has consulted on:

• A 40 year old male was dared to chew and swallow a lizard for $50.  A live one.  There is a reason we have the Brookfield Zoo’s senior reptile keeper’s phone number on our quick number list! Read more »

Outdoor Summer Safety

Temperatures are warm, the sun is shining and kids are out of school.  Summertime is “outside time”, so read on for tips to keep your family safe while outdoors!

Plants and Mushrooms

Learn the names of all the plants in your garden and landscaping, and label them with both their common and botanical names (tip: bring a cut of the plant/flower to your local nursery or greenhouse if you don’t know what you have).  Consult the IPC’s toxic plant list to help plan your garden, especially if you have little ones. Teach children to never eat mushrooms or berries growing outside. Read more »

Coming Soon to a Pharmacy Near You…

New Pediatric Acetaminophen Dosing Guidelines and Formulation Changes

If you are in tune to healthcare and medical news stories, you probably already know that overdosing or chronically using too much of the popular non-aspirin product called acetaminophen may cause serious and possibly even fatal liver damage.  Read more »