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Memorial Hospital recognizes National Poison
Prevention Week |
Logansport Memorial Hospital is a
member of the Indiana Poison Center Hospital Network and
called on this valuable resource 67 times in 2007. Twelve
more cases were referred to Memorial Hospital for care, and
a total of 308 poison exposures were reported in Cass County
last year.
“There is no substitute
for prevention and careful supervision, wherever children
live or spend time,” said Helen Robins, MD, ER physician at
Logansport Memorial Hospital. “At the same time, it’s
important to realize that children are fast and curious so
that poisoning can happen in the home of the most careful
parent. It can take only seconds for a child to reach for
poisonous cleaners, cosmetics or medications, possibly
resulting in serious injury or even death.”
The most dangerous poisonings involve
items commonly found in and around our homes: medicines
(prescription and over-the-counter), cleaning products
(drain openers, toilet bowl cleaners, oven cleaners, rust
removers), automotive products (windshield washer fluid,
antifreeze), hydrocarbons (gasoline, kerosene, lighter
fluid, furniture polish, hair and body oils) and pesticides.
The nurses and pharmacists
at the Poison Center are there 24 hours a day, year round to
help you. To learn more about poison prevention call the
Indiana Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 or visit the
center’s website at
www.clarian.org/poisoncontrol.
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National Poison Prevention Week, March 16 – 22
Logansport Memorial Hospital and the Indiana Poison
Center encourage you to take some simple steps to
help keep your family safe.
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Choose products and medicines with child
resistant packaging whenever it is available.
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Replace child-resistant caps tightly every
time you give or take a medicine or use a product.
·
Lock medicines and products out of sight and
reach of children.
·
Read the label each and every time, before
giving or taking a medicine or using household
products – never guess about how to use a product.
·
Take medicines where children can’t watch –
they learn by imitating.
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Put the number for the Indiana Poison
Center, 1-800-222-1222, on or near every
telephone.
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Make sure babysitters and family members
caring for your children also have the emergency
number posted in their homes.
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Call the Indiana Poison Center even if you
think that someone has been poisoned. Don’t
wait to see if the person gets sick. Call the
experts at the Poison Center right away.
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