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Trident Area Safe Kids offers poison safety tips Poison control centers in the United States receive 1.2 million calls each year as a result of unintentional poisoning of children, ages 5 and under.  Each year, about 100,000 children in that age group are treated in emergency rooms for poisoning, and about 40 die. Nearly 90 percent of these toxic exposures occur in the home, and 60 percent involve non-pharmaceutical products such as cosmetics, cleansers, personal care products, plants, pesticides, art supplies, alcohol and toys. March 20-26 is National Poison Prevention Week, an annual program established by an act of Congress in 1961 to spread the message that children act fast and so do poisons. “It doesn’t take much to make a small child sick,” said Amy Ethridge, Trident Area SAFE KIDS coordinator. “Kids have faster metabolisms than adults and anything they ingest will be absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly.” Child-resistant packaging is credited with saving hundreds of children’s lives since its introduction in the 1970s, and childhood lead poisoning declined by 80 percent in the 15 years after unleaded gasoline and paint became industry standards. Still, there is no substitute for active supervision and childproof-ing. “If a product label says ‘keep out of reach of children,’ there’s a reason,” Ethridge said. “Keep it up high and in a locked cabinet.” Trident Area SAFE KIDS reminds parents and caregivers to keep the poison control hotline number handy. “Memorize this toll-free number,” Ethridge said. “Keep it beside every phone in your home and program it into your cell phone: 800-222-1222.” From anywhere in the United States, this number will connect you to the local poison control center. “Call 911, not poison control, if a child is choking, having trouble breathing or having a seizure,” she said. “Follow the operator’s instructions. Do not induce vomiting or give the child any fluid or medication unless directed.” Trident Area SAFE KIDS offers these additional tips: Get your home tested for lead. Children inhale the dust of lead-based paint and can build up enough lead in their blood to affect intelligence, growth and development. An estimated 890,000 children ages 1 to 5 have too much lead in their blood. Lead-based paint was used in homes until 1978, so it’s important to have older homes tested. Install a carbon monoxide detector in every sleeping area. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that builds up around fuel-burning appliances—and cars in garages—and is present in tobacco smoke. It can make a child seriously ill in concentrations that would barely affect an adult.  Stay alert while using cleaning products or other potentially harmful substances. A child can be poisoned in a matter of seconds. Never leave children alone with an open container of something you wouldn’t want them to ingest. Don’t refer to medicine or vitamins as candy. Children should not think of therapeutic substances as treats.  Dispose of expired medications. Also, medications and any potentially harmful products should be stored in their original containers with their original labeling. Learn which plants are poisonous. Keep poisonous houseplants out of reach, and teach children not to put any part of an outdoor plant in their mouths without adult supervision. Discuss these precautions with grandparents and relatives. Grandparents may have medications that can be very dangerous to children, and their homes might not be as well childproofed as yours. Learn CPR. In less than three hours, you can learn effective interventions that can give a fighting chance to a child whose breathing and heartbeat have stopped. For a list of local CPR classes visit http://www.musc.edu/nursing/student_life/cpr.htm  For more information, call 792-5327 or visit http://www.safekids.org. Trident Area SAFE KIDS is part of the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury—the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. More than 300 state and local SAFE KIDS coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico make up the Campaign, which is a member of the Poison Prevention Week Council.   Friday, March 18, 2005 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.