Poisoning Emergencies

Types of Poisonings

A poison is a substance that can cause illness or injury when absorbed by the body. Any substance can become a poison if not used in its intended way. Poisonous consumer products have poison symbols on their labels, but other poisonous substances do not carry warnings. These include:

• Alcohol
• Some common household plants
• Cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabis products
• Contaminated food
• Medications when not taken as prescribed

Many substances that are not harmful in small amounts may be poisonous in large amounts.

Poisons are classified according to how they enter the body:

• Swallowed poisons – Through the mouth
• Inhaled poisons – Through the lungs
• Absorbed poisons – Through the skin and mucous membranes
• Injected poisons – Through a hollow needle or needle-like device (e.g., a snake’s fangs)

An important part of the first aid for poisoning is telephoning your local or provincial poison information centre for advice on what to do. Before calling, the first aider must quickly gather as much information about the incident as possible. Use the history of the scene and the signs and symptoms of the casualty to gather the information you will need to answer the questions asked by the poison information centre.