Don't Spend Your Holiday in the ER

As September approaches it’s time to celebrate the last days of summer.  Don’t spend your holiday in an emergency room.  Prevent mishaps from occurring ….Remember, most poisonings are preventable!  Follow the safety tips below.

Food

• Do not cross-contaminate!  Cooked foods should not be placed on any unwashed plates/containers that previously held raw meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.
• Cold foods should be kept refrigerated when not being served.  Do not let food sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Always wash hands and counters before preparing food.  Use clean utensils for cooking and serving.

Medication (prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, dietary)

• When friends and family visit, lock up all of their medications (prescription and over-the-counter). Children, teens and pets die every year because adults (parents, guardians, grandparents, etc) fail to realize the danger of keeping medicines in non-secure medicine cabinets, closets and drawers.
• Safely dispose of any unused and/or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications in the home.  Remind the seniors in your lives to do the same. Drop-off sites are available in NJ where these medications can be properly discarded. Call the NJ Poison Experts at 800-222-1222 for local drop-off site near you.
• Use caution with alcoholic beverages since the alcohol may interact with medications. Check with your pharmacist or the Poison Control Center to find out if an interaction may occur. Some medications can greatly increase the chance for severe sunburn.

Chemicals (pool products, pesticides, fertilizers, lamp oil, kerosene, lighter fluids, automotive fluids, etc.)

• Jugs containing lamp or torch oil must be stored in locked cabinets away from food and drinks. When accidentally taken by mouth, such lamp or torch oils can enter the lungs causing pneumonia and even death.
• Lamp and torch oil refill bottles may closely resemble juice containers; the containers and caps are designed similarly, the oils are colorful and fragrant; the liquids are practically identical in appearance with common fruit juices/drinks!
• Since it is difficult to pour the liquid directly from the refill bottle into the torch, consumers frequently pour the liquid into a plastic or paper cup in order to then transfer it into the torch.  This leaves a cup with what appears to be lemonade or apple juice sitting in it making it an invitation for someone to mistakenly ingest the substance with a potentially disastrous outcome.  Use a funnel to transfer the fluid; do not use drinking cups to transfer torch lamp oil from the storage bottle to the lamp, lantern or torch.   
• Read the directions on the label before using.
• Keep all chemicals locked up out of reach of children and pets.
• Store all chemicals in their original, clearly-marked container. Always use child-resistant caps.
• Store chemicals in a cool, dry, well ventilated area with a locked entry. 
• Always choose the right chemical, for example pesticide, for the job at hand.
• Do not apply products on a windy day.
• Wear protective clothing, masks, eye protection when applying chemicals.  Wash clothes, footwear or any exposed skin that comes in contact with chemicals.

Backyard Safety

• Know the name of plants and flowers in and around your home, including your yard and garden.
• Be alert to insects that may bite or sting. 
• Make sure all gardening, lawn care products, and pool products are stored in locked cabinets.
• Do not pick plants/mushrooms to eat from your backyard or fields.  Even experts are often fooled by look-alikes which are toxic.
• Eliminate standing water that collects in birdbaths, buckets and containers, old tires, unused pools and roof gutters.  Standing water is a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Safe Grilling

• Store charcoal lighter fluid in locked cabinets, out of sight and reach of children and pets.  Swallowing lighter fluid can lead to serious poisoning. 
• When taking cooked food off the grill, do not put it back on the same plate that held raw food.
• Turn meats over at least once to cook evenly.
• Do not partially grill meat or poultry and finish cooking later.
• Use a meat thermometer to make sure meats have reached the proper internal temperature. The color of meat and poultry is not a good indicator of safety.
• Never use your gill indoors, in a garage, shed, etc! 

Sun Exposure  

• Avoid sunburn by limiting time spent in the sun especially when the sun is the strongest (from 10 am to 2 pm).
• Wear clothing to cover exposed skin (long-sleeve shirts, pants, hats, and sunglasses) and regularly apply sunscreen with a broad spectrum SPF of 15 or higher.
• Use caution in the sun because some medications can greatly increase the chance for severe sunburn even when using sunscreen.
• Insect repellents such as DEET, picaridin and permethrin may be used on children older than 2 months of age. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is not recommended on children under 3 years of age. 
• Do not spray insect repellents on the face since they may irritate the eyes and mouth.  Instead, spray onto hands and then rub onto the face.  Avoid applying repellents to broken skin or wounds, and avoid applying repellents under clothing.

It is good to know help is just a phone call away. If someone is unconscious, not breathing, seizing/convulsing, bleeding profusely, difficult to arouse/wake up, etc. call 911 immediately, otherwise call the NJ Poison Experts at 800-222-1222. 

While a quick web search may seem like an easy option, it is no substitute for calling the poison center and speaking with medical experts (doctors, nurses, and pharmacists). A mistreated exposure can escalate an easy-in-home treatment into a trip to the hospital.  In the event of a poison exposure, every second counts so calling the poison center is the smart thing to do!! You may also chat or text in using our website, www.njpies.org. 

The NJ Poison Experts are always here to help with emergencies or questions involving medicines, chemicals, household products, environmental contaminants, plants, or other poisons. Help is available in more than 150 languages; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. Program the Poison Help line (800-222-1222) into your cell phone and post it near your home and office phones too.  There are no silly questions and our health professionals are always available to answer a question, quell a fear, provide advice, or intervene to get emergency services on site and prepped to provide the needed protocol in the fastest response time. When in doubt, check it out by calling, texting, or chatting - Prevention is truly the best possible medicine. Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/njpies) and Twitter (@NJPoisonCenter) for breaking news, safety tips, trivia questions, etc.  BE POISON SMART! Share poison prevention tips with your family (including children), friends, and coworkers.  

Real People. Real Answers.