Poisoning and cauterization

Poisoning

Particularly with smaller children it sometimes happens that poisoning occurs in the household. The reason is either the intake of parental medication or chemical substances such as detergents, washing powder, cleaning agents and paints. As soon as the parents notice this process, the child must be taken away immediately and kept out of reach.

It must always be assumed that the child has already ingested a certain amount of the substance. Even if the child denies this (possibly out of fear of trouble), the worst must always be feared in this case. A doctor should always be consulted.

The doctor will then adjust the treatment according to the substance or medicine taken. In addition to the type of substance, the time that has already passed is also very important. If not much time has passed yet, the substance can still be transported out of the body by a generated vomiting in the child.

If a certain amount of time has already passed, an attempt can still be made to flush out the toxin with the help of gastric lavage. In the case of corrosive or foaming chemicals, vomiting should not be induced, as it can lead to burns and foaming respiratory problems. In the most severe cases, haemodialysis (blood washing) must be used to filter the absorbed toxins from the blood. In any case, the child must remain in the hospital for observation, since corresponding effects can only occur hours later after ingestion. The most important criterion, especially for parents, is to keep chemicals and medicines out of the reach of children.

Burning

Mostly at workplaces, but also occasionally in the home environment, burns of the skin of various parts of the body occur. The causes are either corrosive chemicals used for cleaning, which have come into contact with the skin as a result of carelessness, or, among hobby restorers, skin contact with corrosive strippers. In the case of burns, a doctor should always be consulted, as it is possible that a corresponding number of skin layers have been destroyed and a skin transplant may be necessary.

As a first measure, one should immediately try to remove the corrosive substance from the skin under running water. After cleaning, the skin should be covered with a sterile cloth before a doctor is consulted. If eye involvement occurs, the eye must be rinsed immediately for several minutes.

Since most households probably do not have an eye wash bottle, the eye should be stopped with force and rinsed under running water. Afterwards a doctor must be consulted immediately or an emergency doctor must be called. Inhalation can also cause burns to the respiratory tract.

In this case a doctor should be consulted in any case. Burns of the airways are noticeable by coughing and a burning and stinging feeling in the upper airways.