Nurse Kelly is teaching the parents of a young child how to handle poisoning. If the child ingests poison, what should the parents do first?
A. Call an ambulance immediately
B. Administer ipecac syrup
C. Punish the child for being bad
D. Call the poison control center
Correct Answer: D. Call the poison control center
Before interviewing in any way, the parents should call the poison control center for specific directions to avoid death or permanent disability associated with ingestion of poisonous substances. If there is suspicion that a child has been exposed to a poison – whether swallowed, spill on the skin, splashed in the eye, or inhaled – or if a child has been given the wrong medicine or wrong dose of medicine, the parents should phone the Poisons Information Center immediately.
Option A: The parents may have to call an ambulance after calling the poison control center. The Poisons Information Centre will get a brief history from the parents about what happened and will provide the appropriate advice. Many poisoning exposures in children are mild and can be safely managed at home – staff from the Poisons Information Centre will tell them what to do.
Option B: Ipecac syrup is no longer used and is recommended by the poison control center. Ipecac has been found to have minimal health benefits and is ultimately ineffective at purging the body of poisonous substances. It was initially discontinued due to production costs and lack of raw materials.
Option C: Punishment for being bad isn’t appropriate because the parents are responsible for making the environment safe. The best protection against poisoning is to make sure that children do not have access to any poisons or medicines.