1. An ER called requesting treatment advice regarding a 26 year old intoxicated male who was bit by his pet rattlesnake on the neck. He was showing off the snake to his friends at a party and placed it around his neck.
2. A father called after cooking tater tots in the oven; after his kids ate them, the caller realized there was a charred rat corpse in the oven.
3. A 20 month old ingested a fingerful of Vaporub.
4. A 39 year old female has accidentally taken a double dose of her cholesterol medication.
5. A child was found licking doorknob after it had been sprayed with Lysol® disinfectant.
6. A 2 year old ingested one unburned firecracker snake.
7. A 32 year old male started taking high dose niacin tablet to help reduce his blood pressure. After his first dose, his face flushed a deep red and he feels hot.
8. A man called because they had a new furnace installed. Upon turning it on, he smelled a ‘burning smell’, wondering if this could be carbon monoxide or some other possibly toxic gas.
9. While siphoning radiator antifreeze (50% strength in radiator), the caller got a mouthful; she spit most out but swallowed some.
10. An ER calls requesting treatment advice regarding a 38 year old female who ingested 30 tablets of Tylenol PM.
11. Caller wondering where he should dispose of some chemicals he found in his elderly parents’ shed.
12. Mom is a dentist, she was teaching her 4 year old how to floss; child bunched up the several inches of dental floss she was using, stuck it in her mouth and swallowed it.
13. A 24 year old male called with concerns on how much cough syrup he had taken. He bought a 4 ounce bottle had had a ‘swig’ every few hours because his coughing was not relieved.  He has ingested the entire 4 ounce bottle during the past 12 hours and now feels ‘woozy’.
14. A grandparent called concerned because she gave her grandson his heart medication approximately 90 minutes too soon. He is supposed to get it every 12 hours.
15. Caller’s electricity was out for between 3-6 hours while she was at work. Wondered if she should throw all the food in her fridge/freezer away.
16. Babysitter misread the label of child’s nighttime prescription for clonidine and instead of giving him ½ tablet, gave him 12 tablets.
17. Caller wanted to know if it is safe to use DEET insect repellant on his 3 year old child when they go on vacation.
18. An ER called regarding a 93 year old who is a patient at a nursing home and was accidentally given another patient’s medications in addition to his own. He received 8 drugs he should not have received.

***IPC specialists also made 12 calls to homes and hospitals to follow up on the clinical course of patients we had been previously consulted on.

This is just one hour, read the rest of the cases from the 24 hour day.  Prevention is priceless!  Click here for free online poison prevention education course and/or educational materials.