Be prepared.
Save your poison center's number: 1-800-222-1222 (US only).
Save the webPOISONCONTROL online tool as a browser favorite.
Install a carbon monoxide alarm in every sleeping area of your home.
Poison proof every home where your child spends time.
Lock medicines and household products out of your child’s reach, even between doses.
Use child-resistant packaging. Replace caps securely.
Store household products in a different place from food and medicine.
Keep purses out of your child’s reach.
Use medicines safely.
Read the label before taking or giving medicine. Follow instructions exactly.
Use the correct dosing syringe or cup, NOT a household spoon.
Ask your child’s pediatrician before giving any herbal medicine or supplement.
These especially hazardous household products must always be kept out of a child’s reach. Buy small quantities only. Discard unneeded extras safely.
Keep button batteries out of reach of children. Secure the battery compartment on remote controls, key fobs, cameras, watches, flameless candles, and every battery-powered product.
Aspirin is an over-the-counter medication used as an anti-inflammatory agent and for pain or fever relief. Low dose aspirin is used to prevent heart attacks and strokes in people with existing heart disease, and sometimes in pregnancy to prevent preeclampsia. Normal side effects include stomach upset and indigestion. Aspirin overdose can be life-threatening.
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Up to 10% of people who take penicillin can have an allergic reaction. However, life-threatening reactions (anaphylaxis) are very rare. Most people with a penicillin allergy can safely take related medications, including cephalosporins.
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Water from a private well can be threatened by numerous contaminants, either naturally or due to human activities. Many contaminants can have detrimental health effects. While the Safe Drinking Water Act ensures the safety of public water supply systems, the responsibility for ensuring the quality and safety of private well water falls on the owner.
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Just because something is "natural", it isn't necessarily safe to casually eat or use. Originally, all remedies came from nature. Yew is an example of a plant with medicinal value that can be poisonous if eaten.
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Windshield washer fluid contains methanol. If swallowed, methanol can cause blindness and death. Prompt treatment can reduce the toxicity of methanol.
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Fiberglass is often used by mattress manufacturers to meet fire safety standards. Fiberglass may be present in mattress foam or covers, and human exposures to fiberglass can occur when mattress covers are unzipped or removed. Health effects from fiberglass exposure can include eye injuries, skin irritation, and lung disease.
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A variety of cleaning products are available to maintain wood floors. Wood floor cleaners are usually based on hydrocarbons, detergents, or glycol ether solvents. Each type carries its own precautions and potential adverse effects. Floor cleaners can also contain alcohol, weak acids, or alkaline chemicals to strengthen their cleaning properties.
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Tecovirimat (TPOXX®) is an antiviral drug used to treat smallpox and monkeypox infections. People with severe monkeypox disease, those with weakened immune systems, and young children may be candidates for treatment with TPOXX®. Since it is held in the Strategic National Stockpile, TPOXX® is typically obtained from the CDC or state health departments.
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Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial species that causes foodborne illness in humans. Listeria infection can occur after consumption of contaminated meats, dairy products, and produce. Pregnant women, children, and people with compromised immune systems are at high risk for severe complications of Listeria infection.
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Although they are pretty, Virginia creeper and wisteria can be harmful if they are chewed or swallowed. Both plants can cause mouth pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and should not be eaten.
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