Day in the life of a Poison Center: 9pm-10pm
A woman called because she had reached into her bathroom cabinet in the dark for a tube of personal lubricant and accidentally used toothpaste instead. A 5 year old ingested up to 10 of his own Singulair.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 8pm-9pm
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. A father called after cooking tater tots in the oven; after his kids ate … more
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 7pm-8pm
An ER called requesting treatment advice regarding a 74 year old female ingested unknown amount of diltiazem and metformin A 4 year old inadvertently brushed his teeth with Bengay muscle rub instead of toothpaste.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 6pm-7pm
Caller took a beer out of the minbar in a hotel and quickly realized after one swig that it was urine. Someone had drunk the beer, then filled it with urine and put it back to avoid being charged. A mother called after finding her 2 year old son chewing on an AA battery he … more
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 5pm-6pm
After playing basketball, an 18 year old male took two large swigs from a Gatorade bottle that he found in his friend’s Jeep. Turns out it was windshield wiper fluid the friend had transferred to the smaller bottle to make it more portable. While crawling in the kitchen, a 10 month old bit into a … more
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 4pm-5pm
A mother called because her 18 year old son was dared to drink a bottle of hot sauce. He developed significant vomiting and diarrhea. A 37 year old male inadvertently took two of his daughter’s Depakote tablets, thinking they were Tylenol.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 3pm-4pm
A caller was trying to unclog a stubborn drain and poured drain cleaner and bleach into the sink at the same time. He immediately began having nose and eye burning and coughing.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 2pm-3pm
A 3 year old child ingested a mouthful of calamine lotion. A 2 year old got into grandmother’s pill box and may have ingested up to one each of lisinopril, prednisone and atorvastatin.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 1-2pm
An ER called regarding two adult patients who presented with bluish tinged skin (cyanosis). They had made their own beef jerky at home and had added 5 times too much sodium nitrate as a preservative. A preschool teacher would like to have someone from IPC to come out and give a poison prevention lecture to … more
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 12pm-1pm
A mom called, she is visiting her friend (who uses e-cigarettes) and found her 2 year old sucking the liquid out of the E-cigarette device. An adult caller was using a Brillo pad to clean a stain on his underwear. As a result of vigorously scrubbing, some of the Brillo cleanser flew into his eye.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 11am-12pm
An elderly man called because a drain opener splashed into his eyes when he poured it into a clogged drain. A 5 year old accidentally super glued his finger in his nose.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 10am-11am
An ER called for assistance with an adult male who was pulled unconscious from a tank he had been cleaning at his worksite. A toddler ingested a mouthful of acetone nail polish remover.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 9am-10am
A 3 year old child ingested an entire roll of Rolaids. A 23 year old woman is in the ER because she had been using an outdoor pesticide (chlorpyrifos) inside her house repeatedly over the past week. She is experiencing symptoms of dizziness and drowsiness.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 8am-9am
A 14 month old child took a bite out of his mother’s deodorant stick. Mom was able to remove most of the material from his mouth but he swallowed some. A 2 year old child ingested an unknown number of gummy vitamins.
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 7am-8am
An 11 month old child was playing with the tube of diaper cream while his father changed his diaper. He bit into the tube and ingested a mouthful of the cream. EMS called because they are transporting a patient found by his wife; she woke up this morning to find that he was on the … more
Day in the life of a Poison Center: 12am-7am
Want to know what it is like to work at a poison center? Ever wonder just what type of calls we receive? All of these calls are typical of the type of calls the IPC gets on any given day. They are presented in a simulated call timeframe and details have been changed to protect … more
Top 5 Unwanted Guests for the Holidays: Common Food Borne Illnesses
The holidays are a time of celebration and joy, connecting and reconnecting with friends and family. Many gatherings will have an abundance of food. Holiday feasts however, can be tricky; home chefs are often preparing a meal they don’t normally cook, and they’re preparing it for a larger group than usual. For many parties, different … more
Thinking about stopping your medicines without talking to your doctor? Think again!
You know that taking too much medication is dangerous. But did you realize that abruptly stopping a medication after taking it regularly can be just as dangerous?
Halloween Health Safety Tips: How To Have A Safe and Spooky Good Time
Halloween is just around the corner and little ghosts and goblins everywhere are gearing up for this night of fright! But parents BEWARE! As we begin to get into the spirit of Halloween, here are some quick pointers to ensure a hauntingly delightful Halloween
Ewwwww Groooossssss
Here at the IPC, we get a lot of interesting calls. The first time I tell someone what I do for a living, one of the usual questions I get is, “what was the craziest case you’ve ever had?” It is hard to choose just one, but what sticks in my memory most are the … more
Mosquitoes, ticks and biting insects, OH MY!
Now that the weather is finally warming up, we can actually see Summer approaching just around the corner. Summertime means kids out of school, days at the park and gossiping out on the porch in the late evenings. For everything good thing there is always a downside. Not only does the warm weather bring more … more
Ultra-Toxic Poisons May Be Lurking Right Under Your Nose
There are a lot of poisons that can cause significant harm to adults, kids, and pets. But did you ever wonder what kind of things make an expert answering phones in the IPC have a dry mouth, rapid heart rate, and raise the hair on the back of their neck?
I Didn’t Know That Poop Could Be So Harmful!
Regardless of what you call it (feces, stool, BMs, poop, doodoo, scat, #2, caca, etc.), people, especially kids, can and do unintentionally encounter this undesirable material in a variety of ways (i.e. tasting or smelling it). In September 2011, the Illinois Poison Center posted a blog about kids accidentally tasting various forms of fecal material … more
What’s That “Chirping” Sound??
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. After … more
My Child Ate…Christmas!
As part of my reconnaissance for writing this post, I polled my Facebook friends and asked, “What do you think is the most toxic thing about the Holidays”? One of my favorite replies was, “relatives”. Well, unfortunately that is more “Dear Prudence’s” purview than my own, but below you will find some information on what … more