Roa, Josefina Carmen P.

May 13, 2021

Activity No. 4

Prevention of Poisoning

Scenario:
A 5 year-old boy was left with his 12-year old sister at home. When he got thirsty, he went
directly to the kitchen. He could not reach the faucet, so he resorted to drinking the bottle that was left
below the sink. The bottle contains Chlorox. What is the chemical name of cholorox? What should be
done in this scenario?

Answer:
The chemical name of Chlorox is NaClO or NaOCl or ClNaO (sodium hypochlorite). For first aid
measures in this scenario, the mouth of the little boy must be rinsed thoroughly with water. He should
be given plenty of water to drink in order to eliminate the ingested Chlorox from his body by urination.
He should then be moved somewhere with fresh air to encourage clear respiration, and be kept warm
and rested in a position comfortable for breathing. If symptoms persist, call on for professional help.

Questions for Research:

1. Give at least three (3) ways of preventing the following:

a. Household poisons  Store household cleaning products and aerosol
sprays in a high cabinet far from reach.
 Use safety latches for all cabinets containing
cleaning or other chemicals.
 Keep cleaning products in their original bottles.
Don't put cleaning products in old soda bottles
or containers that were used for food.
 Never put roach powders or rat poison on the
floors of your home. Do not use insect sprays
on furniture or mattresses.
 Keep car supplies (antifreeze, windshield
washer fluid) and gardening products (fertilizer,
bug repellent) out of reach in a securely locked
area (in your garage, if you have one). Make
sure they're stored according to package
instructions.
b. Agricultural poisons  Store pesticides in locked cabinets, out of the
reach of children and pets.
 Read the entire label before using any pesticide
in or around the home, and follow all label

c. Cancer due to chemicals
d. Chemical injury to the fetus
directions.
 Consider safe use practices so that you are
prepared in the event that an accident occurs.
 Keep children and pets away from areas being
treated with pesticides. Make sure the product
containers are safely out of reach while they
are being applied.
 Close pesticide containers immediately after
their use to avoid accidental spills.
 Never mix or store pesticides in food or drink
containers.
 For non-smokers and non-smokers: keep away
from people who smoke and substitute
alcoholic drinks with healthy fruit juice, coffee,
milk, tea, water, etc. in certain occasions; for
alcohol-drinkers and smokers: change of
lifestyle, probably need rehabilitation and
medication in extreme cases.
 Be aware of the chemicals in the products you
buy. You can wear a mask, gloves, or other
protective clothing to reduce your exposure to
household chemicals.
 Read product labels and follow the directions
carefully.
 Store household chemicals, such as cleaners,
paints/ finishes, degreasers, and strippers safely
and prevent chemicals from spilling, leaking,
and coming into contact with children and pets.
 Use chemicals in well-ventilated rooms or use
them outside.
 Check your home for high levels of radon.
 Be aware of chemicals you are exposed to on
the job. Wear personal protective equipment if
asked to.
 Fumes from pesticides, household cleaners,
and paint can be harmful to a developing fetus,
especially in the first trimester. Pregnan women
should use chemical-free cleaning alternatives.
If it is unavoidable to use chemical cleaners,
pregnant women must wear gloves, ventilate
the area, and avoid inhaling fumes.
 Exposure to lead can cause miscarriage, and
experts report that children of mothers exposed
to lead during pregnancy may have delayed
development. A pregnant woman who is
exposed to lead can also pass it to her fetus
through the placenta.

e. Drug-induced reactions and fatalities
2. Enumerate five (5) examples of:
a. Household poisons
 Exposure to mercury can cause mild to severe
nervous system damage. Before and during
pregnancy and breastfeeding, a pregnant
woman should take measures to avoid fish that
contain high levels of mercury, such as shark,
swordfish, king mackerel, marlin, orange
roughy, bigeye tuna, and tilefish from the Gulf
of Mexico.
 First, taking a good medication history is
essential. The "AVOID Mistakes" mnemonic
presented on the next slide can help health care
practitioners to develop good habits when
performing this task.
 Second, it is essential that physicians develop
an understanding of which patients are at risk
for drug interactions. Of course any patient
taking 2 medications is at some risk. Studies
show that the rate of adverse drug reactions
increases exponentially in patients taking 4 or
more medications.1 Importantly, some
categories of drugs are especially at high risk for
interactions. These categories include
anticonvulsants, antibiotics, and certain cardiac
drugs such as digoxin, warfarin, and
amiodarone.
 Third, any time a patient is taking multiple
drugs, we recommend that the first step be to
check a readily available pocket reference,
recognizing that the interaction may not be
listed and a more complete search may be
required.
 Fourth, consult other members of the health
care team. Depending upon the practice setting,
this may be a clinical pharmacologist, a hospital
pharmacist, a specially trained office staff
nurse, or the nearby pharmacist in community
practice.
 Fifth, use one of the computerized databases
available. Up-to-date databases should be
maintained.
House paint
Bleach
Detergents
Cleaners
Insecticides
 Perfumes
Nail polish
b. Agricultural poisons  DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) – an
organochlorine insecticide used to control
mosquito-borne malaria & vectors, crops,
control insect typhus then extensively used as
an agricultural insecticide after 1945
 Benzene Hexacloride (TN: Lindane, KWELL) –
has been used both as an agricultural
insecticide and as a pharmaceutical treatment
for lice and scabies. The World Health
Organization classifies lindane as "Moderately
Hazardous".
 Polycyclic Cholrinated Insecticides – include
Aldrin, Endrin, Thiodan, and Chlordane; used in
treating approximately 30 million homes for
termites for crops like corn and citrus, and on
lawns and domestic gardens.
 Malathion is widely used in agriculture,
residential landscaping, public recreation areas,
and in public health pest control programs such
as mosquito eradication
 Bromopropylate – an acaricide used to control
mites on fruits and other crops

Online References:

Dumalagan, DF. (2017). Agricultural Poisons. Health & Medicine.

https://www.slideshare.net/pyundale/agricultural-poisons

Household Safety: Preventing Poisoning, KidsHealth

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/safety-poisoning.html

Chemicals, Cancer, and You FS.pdf, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/emes/public/docs/Chemicals,%20Cancer,%20and%20You%20FS.pdf

Pregnancy: Chemicals, Cosmetics, and Radiation, Peace Health, Health Information Library
https://www.peacehealth.org/medical-topics/id/tn7383

Preventable ADR: A Focus on Drug Interactions, US FDA

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-interactions-labeling/preventable-adverse-drug-reactions-
focus-drug-interactions

Poison Prevention, National Pesticide Information Center

http://npic.orst.edu/health/poisonprevent.html