A quick reference for when someone is poisoned

Poisoning can happen to anyone and from many different sources, including carbon monoxide. If you think someone's been poisoned, these are some suggestions on what to do next.

If you suspect someone has swallowed a poisonous substance, call an ambulance straight away.

• If the casualty is unconscious, don't put your finger into their mouth to make them vomit. Instead, try to wake them and encourage them to spit out what they have taken.
• If you know how, put the casualty in the recovery position.
• Look for clues to the poisoning cause, such as open bottles of household chemicals or pill bottles. Take them with you to the emergency room.
• If the person has vomited, keep a sample for examination.

Any information can help medical staff treat the casualty appropriately. Be ready with the following information — write it down while you wait for the ambulance:

• The substance that you think may have been swallowed (or inhaled or splashed on the skin).
• Precisely when it was taken.
• How much of it was ingested.
• The symptoms you have noted.
• The age of the patient and any known medical conditions.

• Tasteless, colourless, odourless and poisonous, carbon monoxide (CO) is a major cause of brain damage and death.
• As well as vehicle exhaust, common sources in the home include faulty boilers, gas appliances and fires, blocked flues and chimneys.
• The symptoms of mild CO poisoning are similar to those of flu or food poisoning: headache, nausea, abdominal pain and dizziness, shortness of breath and a cough.
• More severe poisoning induces a racing and irregular heartbeat, hyperventilation, confusion, drowsiness, respiratory problems, seizures, chest pain, clumsiness and unconsciousness.
• If you, your co-workers, family or pets experience any of these, get everyone into the fresh air. Call emergency services to check the premises for possible sources of a leak.
• Anyone who displayed any of the symptoms listed above should be checked over as soon as possible by a doctor, or driven to the closest hospital.

Poisoning can be a stressful and traumatic experience, so it's important to know what to do before it happens. Arm yourself with as much information as possible, including the symptoms of CO poisoning. It could help save a life.