Swallowed poisons and foreign objects

What are swallowed poisons?

Swallowed poisons include chemicals, fungi, and berries. Hazardous chemicals can be household products like bleach, which can poison or burn if swallowed. Poisonous plants include certain types of mushroom, and foxgloves. Prescribed and over-the-counter drugs can also be harmful if someone takes too many.

A poison can enter the body in 4 ways it can be:

Ingested

Inhaled

Absorbed

Injection

Signs and symptoms

If someone has swallowed a poison, they may have:

Nausea and vomiting (sometimes blood-stained).

Pain or burning sensation.

Cramping stomach pains.

Seizures.

Reduced level of response.

What to do

If the person is responsive, ask them what they have swallowed, when and how much.

There might be some clues around them, like empty packaging, or containers, or COSHH or poisonous plants and berries.

Call 999 or 112 for emergency help or the NHS helpline 111 for advice and give them as much information as possible. Keep checking their breathing and response.

Do not try to make them vomit. If they do vomit, then put some of this into a bag or container and give it to the healthcare professionals along with any other clues. This may help them identify the poison.

If they become unresponsive, open their airway, check their breathing and prepare to give CPR.

Object in ear or nose - baby and child

Children and babies often push foreign objects into their nose or ears. If a foreign object becomes lodged in the ear, like cotton wool or insects, this can cause temporary deafness. If a foreign object becomes lodged in the nose, like ‘button’ batteries, it can cause bleeding or burns.  

What to do

Object in ear or nose - baby first aid 

Do not try to remove the foreign object yourself as you might push the object in further. Take them to hospital where the professionals can remove it safely. 

Keep the casualty calm.

Insect in baby or child's ear - gently flood ear with tepid water.

If there’s an insect inside the ear, you can support the casualty’s head with the affected ear facing upwards, and gently flood the ear with tepid water. This should allow the insect to float out.

If this flooding does not remove the insect, seek medical advice.

What are foreign object eye injuries?

Foreign objects (such as grit, a loose eyelash or a contact lens) that lie on the surface of the eye can easily be rinsed out. Sharp fragments like metal or glass may cut or penetrate the eye and become embedded. If this is the case, the person should not attempt to remove the object but cover the eye and seek medical help as soon as possible.

Signs and symptoms

Look for:

Pain or discomfort in the eye or eyelid.

Redness and watering of the eye.

A visible wound or a bloodshot appearance.

Blurred, partial or a total loss of vision.

What to do

1. Advise the casualty not to rub their eye as this could make it worse. Ask them to sit down facing a light.

2. Stand behind them and gently open their eyelids with your thumbs. Ask them to look right, left, up and down as you look closely at the eye.

3. If you can see something, ask them to tip their head backwards and wash it out by pouring clean water from the inner corner from a glass or jug.

4. If this doesn’t work and the object is still on the surface of the eye, try to remove it with a moist piece of gauze or the damp corner of a clean handkerchief or tissue. If the object isn’t easy to remove or the eye is very painful, seek medical advice.

5. For Chemical Irrigate with large volumes of clean water continuously. Wear gloves, gently but firmly try open the eyelid to irrigate the eye fully.