They’re young. They’re spontaneous. They’re mobile. When your new toddler and infant finally starting moving around on their own, it can pose new dangers when it comes to poison prevention in your home. Sherrie Pace from Utah Poison Control shares what concerns you should have as a parent for every stage of your child’s development and tips to keep your kids safe. Remember: Nothing is child proof.
If you suspect a poisoning, call Utah Poison Control immediately at 800-222-1222. You’ll get the most accurate information available, and it’s free.
Rabies is a very serious virus. Once a person is infected, there is not much a doctor can do to treat it. If a dog, cat, bat, or other mammal you might suspect has rabies has bitten you, get to the doctor. The first dose of the vaccine should be administered within the first 24 hours after exposure. Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen explains what types of animals may have the virus and what to watch for with potential exposure. Dr. Madsen also puts to rest the rumors that the rabies vaccine is painful and administered into the stomach.
The University of Utah Poison Control Center speaks with people who accidentally swallow gasoline almost daily. But poison specialist Brad Dahl says it’s what many people do afterward that is most dangerous. He talks about what should be done if you swallow gasoline or get it on your eyes or skin.
What you learned as a Scout on how to handle snakebites probably won’t come in handy and can even make the situation worse. Brad Dahl with the Utah Poison Control Center says once you’ve been bitten, those venom extraction kits won’t help much either. He’ll tell you what you should—and shouldn’t—do if a rattlesnake bites you.
There is one thing we will need throughout our lives though: a Poison Control Center able to answer questions and help with concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a...
Salt is everywhere. It's in our pantries and on our kitchen tables. It is present in most foods we eat and some beverages we drink. It is essential for our...
Barbara Crouch, director of the Utah Poison Control Center, tells us about the types of calls they’ve been receiving as a result of the algae bloom at Utah Lake and what they’re telling callers to do. She talks about the symptoms and dangers of exposure to the algae’s toxic byproduct cyanobacteria, whether it was at Utah Lake before it was closed or as a result of algae blooms detected in other water systems like the Jordan River, Spanish Fork River or Little Cottonwood Creek.
You get bit by a non-venomous garter snake in your garden. It might be scary, but you know there isn’t venom in your veins. Should you go to the ER? Dr. Troy Madsen explains why a dog bite is actually more dangerous than one from a non-poisonous snake, but why you might want to go to the emergency room if you are behind on your tetanus booster.
Electronic cigarettes are exposing young children in the United States to dangerous levels of nicotine. A new study in the journal Pediatrics found the number of poison control cases involving...
Every 45 minutes somewhere in the United States, a parent calls a poison control center because their child has ingested a laundry or dish washing detergent packet.
Learn about some of the things you have in your home that kids can easily mistake for things that they eat and drink everyday. Sherrie Pace from Utah Poison Control brings in some poison look-alikes to see how good we are at figuring out which is which. Listen to see how we do and and learn what steps you can take to protect your kids from making a deadly mix-up.
In 2013, poison control centers received 16,000 calls about children eating hand sanitizer and getting sick. Dr. Cindy Gellner warns that some hand sanitizers are twice as strong as vodka, and no parent would allow their child to have a shot of that. She provides some tips for keeping the hand sanitizer out of reach and keeping your kids safe. If you have concerns, call the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.
There are dangerous items all over the house, but what’s the most dangerous to ingest? Household bleach, Visine eye drops, or those colorful pods of laundry detergent? Barbara Crouch with the Utah Poison Control Center has the answer—and it might surprise you.
