Poisoning
If someone may have been poisoned or if you have questions about poisons and poison prevention call 800.222.1222 immediately.
If the person who is poisoned can't wake up, is having trouble breathing or is having seizures, CALL 911.
Your call will be answered by one of the specialists at the poison center. These experts are trained nurses and pharmacists who specialize in poisoning emergency treatment and poison prevention. The poison specialist will help you to decide if you need to go to a hospital. Most poisonings are not life threatening and can be handled at home with the help of a specialist, saving you time and money.
Poison-Prevention Basics
- Lock away all potential poisons out of the reach and sight of young children. Putting things up high is not enough—children climb.
- Keep products properly labeled and in their original containers. (That way you'll keep the instructions for proper use.)
- Store household products separately from food.
- Dispose of unused and expired medicine safely.
- When available, purchase products in child-resistant containers. (Remember, this does not mean they are child-proof.)
- Take medication out of the sight of your children. Never call medicine "candy."
- Never mix household products (e.g. ammonia and bleach).
- If you are called away while using a product, take it or your child with you or put the product away. Never leave a young child alone with a product.
- Label all the plants, trees and shrubs in and around your home. If a child eats part of a plant, the Poison Control Specialist needs to know exactly what was eaten.
- Teach your children to ask an adult before eating or drinking anything they're not sure about. Some medicines and household products look and smell like things that are good to eat and drink.
Poison First Aid
Poison emergencies can happen quickly and unexpectedly. Poisons can enter your body in the following different ways:
- Through your mouth (oral ingestion)
- Through your nose (inhalation)
- In your eye (ocular)
- Into your bloodstream or a muscle under your skin (parenteral)
- Through your skin (dermal)
Bites and Stings
Bees, wasps and other stinging insects are everywhere outdoors. Find out what to do if you have a bite or sting.
Newsletter and Annual Report
In an effort to prevent poison emergencies, the Indiana Poison Control Center distributes regular news updates to create poison awareness.
From trivia questions to news releases, the IPC provides information that can help you prevent unintentional poisonings.
Toxic Trivia: Indiana Poison Center's Quarterly Newsletter
News Releases
Educational Materials
Kids Pages
Kids can learn about the dangers of poison and have fun at the same time! Each activity in the link below teaches how to be safe around poison:
Information Sheets
- Keeping Your Baby Safe
- A Guide to Poisonous & Non-Poisonous Plants in Indiana
- Poison Prevention Handouts
- Creating Displays
Informacion En Español
- Proteja a su Bebe de Envenenamiento…. ¿Está usted listo?
- Páginas de Diversíón Para Niños
- Como Usar Las Medicinas de Manera Segura
- Consejos Para Niñeras
- ¿Dónde se encuentra el veneno en su Hogar?
- Monóxido de Carbono (CO)
- Mordidas y Picadas
- Personas de la Tercera Edad: Sean Cuidadosos Con Sus Medicinas
- ¿Qué es el Centro de Envenenamiento de Indiana?
- Proteja a sus nietos del Veneno
- Seguridad Con Las Plantas
Renuncia
Este sitio Web es sólo para información. No está hecho con el propósito de remplazar el experto consejo de un especialista en venenos o de un doctor.
Brochure
Curriculum Ideas for Teachers
- Poison Prevention for Preschool Children
- Poison Prevention & First Aid: A Curriculum for Elementary Children
Order Materials
Make a Donation
With your support, we can continue to make a difference. Find out how you can make a charitable gift.
Recent studies have shown that every dollar spent on poison centers returns $6.50 in medical care cost savings through the prevention of unnecessary hospital visits for poison exposures. Factoring in medical inflation rates from the past 22 years, this represents a savings of more than $121 million in Indiana.
With your support, we can continue to make a difference. Our center has been at the forefront of managed care and medical care cost containment since its inception in 1979.
If you'd like to make a charitable gift, please send your gift to the following address:
Indiana Poison Control Center
IU Health Methodist Hospital
Emergency Medicine and Trauma Center
I-65 at 21st Street
Indianapolis, IN 46206-1367
Phone: 317.962.2335
You will receive a gift acknowledgement for tax purposes.
Contact
If you think someone may have been poisoned or if you have questions about poison prevention, call toll-free at 800.222.1222.
Disclaimer:
This Web site is for information only. It is not meant to replace the expert advice of a poison specialist or physician.