Chewable medications are the most common. Young children will drink substances that resemble liquids we normally drink. Household products resembling Koolaid are often tasted by children. Commonly, young children will drink cough and cold syrups, asthma syrups, liquid acetaminophen or Tylenol , and liquid antibiotics. The summer months keep us especially busy.
Exposures increase during the warm season since people are more active in the summer months.
Paints, pesticides, plants, and mushrooms account for a majority of the increase in call volume. Pharmacists, specially trained in toxicology, have historically been the primary phone call takers. Recently, we have added Poison Information Providers to our staffing mix, bringing a variety of experience as licensed practical nurses or emergency medical technicians into the phone room. The fact is that they are not poisonous. Nor are they edible, and it can be expected that, when eaten in quantity, they may cause stomach upset with possible vomiting.