Medication
True or false? Your doctor remembers every medication you have ever been prescribed and will remember to tell you whether the drugs can be poisonous if taken together.
FALSE
Always keep the names and dosage of all medications and supplements you are taking with you. Ask the pharmacist or physician if any drugs can be poisonous if taken together.
Name 1 way that poison can enter the body.
Ingested
Inhaled
Injected
Exposed to eyes or skin
What is the first thing you should do if you suspect that you have been poisoned?
Technically it's to not panic....
But you should call the Poison Center IMMEDIATELY. Do not wait for symptoms to show up.
Where do the majority of poisonings happen?
In the home
93% of poisonings happen in the home!
Name 1 way to prevent taking your medications more than you are supposed to.
Cell phone reminders
Pill box
Daily checklist
Etc.
True or false? Hand sanitizer has less alcohol in it than beer, wine, and whiskey.
True
Tennessee's Poison Hotline saw a 275% increase in calls related to hand sanitizer. Only use a dime-sized amount and rub hands together until completely dry.
FALSE.
Do not treat yourself or someone else without a Poison Center specialist's guidance.
True or False? Older adults are more likley to die from poisonings than children.
True
True or false? It's okay to keep old medications in your cabinet.
False.
Tennessee has take back boxes all around the county to drop off old medications. There are also larger take-back events 2 times a year.
True or false? Toilet bowl cleaners and other cleaning supplies can cause burns on your skin.
True.
What is one piece of information ABOUT THE PERSON that a Poison Center specialist will need when determining how to treat a poisoning?
Current condition
Age
Weight
How many people die a year from poisonings in the United States:
A. 6,000
B. 10,000
C. 12,000
A. 6,000
~300,000 suffer from disabling illness after an unintentional poisoning.
How many times more likely are older adults to visit the ER for problems with their medications than younger adults?
A: The same
B: 2x
C: 3x
B. 2x more likely
Older adults are 7x more likely to be hospitalized after and emergency visit.
True or false? We do not need to worry about lead poisoning anymore.
False!
Lead still exists in many collectibles, antiques, etc.
What is a piece of information ABOUT THE PRODUCT that a specialist from the Poison Center will need to know?
What the product is
Was it swallowed? Inhaled? A bite? In the eyes?
The time that the poisoning occurred
How much money did the Poison Prevention Center save Hamilton County residents in 2020?
A. $500,000
B: $1,000,000
C: $10,000,000
B. 1,000,000
The cost savings for Hamilton County: $1,110,780 saved in 2020 by preventing unnecessary emergency department visits for the underinsured.
Name one safe way to store medications.
Keep them locked away
Store medications in their original containers
Never put medications in a bowl or cup
Keep them in cool, dark places
True or False? All smoke detectors have a carbon monoxide detector so you are 100% safe all the time.
False.
CO is released by fuel-burning heating systems and generators. Not all smoke detectors have a CO alarm. Have your furnace and other heating systems checked yearly.
True or False? The Poison Prevention Hotline is open M-F 8:00AM- 5:00PM.
FALSE!
The hotline is open 24/7 365 days a year with a specialist.
The Tennessee Poison Center receives a potential poison call every ____ seconds.
Every 13 seconds.
In 2020, Hamilton County received 5,600 calls and 2,487 poison emergencies.