Life is busy, sometimes hectic, and mistakes happen. We know! That’s why we’re here to help you avoid those uh-oh moments we’ve heard time and time again. Callers to IPC’s helpline have sought our advice for so many different potentially harmful cases. But when we hear about the same scenarios regularly, we have learned that well-meaning people could use some advice. Here, we’re sharing some of the most common potentially toxic mistakes, examples and prevention tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe from harm.

Applying Products or Chemicals Not Meant For the Body

Many products and chemicals can irritate and/or burn the skin. For example, IPC received a call from a parent who, with good intentions, used a Magic Eraser on their child because the child had covered herself in marker. The Magic Eraser had removed the marker ink—as well as some skin, leaving the area raw. Because the Magic Eraser works like a very fine sandpaper, the child developed multiple painful dermal abrasions. To prevent issues like this from happening read all directions on cleaning product use.

Using a Kitchen Spoon or Wrong Dosing Device to Dispense Medication and Supplements 

Medication doses can be confusing. We heard from a mom who wasn’t sure what “2cc twice daily” meant on her baby’s medication and she gave the child 2 teaspoons twice daily. When she ran out of a month’s worth of medication in a week she realized the mistake. A “cc” is a cubic centimeter, which is the same amount as a milliliter (mL); a teaspoon contains 5 mL. By giving 2 teaspoons instead of 2 milliliters, the infant was getting five times the correct dose.

Another parent called IPC’s helpline, 1-800-222-1222, after getting confused about the dosing of an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever. The medicine’s dosing cup had the teaspoon measure on one side and milliliter measure on the other side. The parent filled up the teaspoon side, thinking it was milliliters, and the child got too much medicine. Mistakes with dosing cups are understandable. We would love it if liquid medicine dosing was standardized to milliliters. Then, there would be no need to have two units of measure on the same cup!

A father called IPC because he thought his elementary school-aged child was having significant side effects from cough medicine—drowsiness, slurred speech and confusion. One of our toxicologists learned the dosing instructions were for a teaspoon at a time, but the parent had been using a large soup spoon to dose the medicine. Unfortunately, the child had been getting 3-4 times the actual dose of a 5mL teaspoon.

Allowing Children/Youth to Handle Medications and Supplements

We heard from one mother who asked her young child to bring the child’s allergy medication to her, and the child brought the mom’s high blood pressure medication instead. The blood pressure medicine was so potent that if the child had ingested just one pill, it could have meant a 24-hour stay in a hospital intensive care unit. Many prescription OTC medication bottles look similar, and oftentimes, children and even adults take the wrong one unknowingly.

Parents want their kids to be more independent, however self-administering medications at a younger age is not the best place to start. This applies to over-the-counter (OTC) medications, as well. OTC medication errors and overdose ingestions can be just as harmful—or more harmful—as mishaps with prescription medication. OTC medications, such as acetaminophen and aspirin, are potentially dangerous and fatal when taken incorrectly or when used intentionally for self-harm.

Avoiding Toxic Mistakes

Since we constantly have new readers and continue to receive calls daily on the same common mishaps, it’s imperative to share the following tip again: Please store medication up high and out of reach of children, store cleaning products and/or chemicals (e.g. super glue, rat poisoning, wheel cleaner, etc.) in different rooms/locations away from food, beverages and medicines and avoid mixing chemicals of cleaning products.

Some simple steps can prevent these and other unnecessary toxic mistakes:

• Carefully read product instructions, paying attention to their intended use.
• Use the measuring device that came with the product. Pay close attention to medication dosing cups with two types of measures on them. Call your pharmacist/doctor if you have questions.
• Always handle and administer your children’s medications yourself—don’t give your child that responsibility, even if it’s only to help.
• Remember, “child-resistant” caps will only delay a child’s access by only a few minutes, as they are not “child-proof.” Store all prescription and OTC medications, supplements, and vitamins up high, out of sight and locked up (if possible).
• NEVER make someone vomit to expel a potentially harmful substance.

If you have questions, call IPC at 800-222-1222. It’s a free, confidential call answered by highly trained toxicology specialists. Click here for a Complimentary Safety Packet (available in English and Spanish) with a sticker, magnet and first aid recommendations or here for the IPC’s free online Poison Prevention Education Course and Resources.