First Aid. Chapter 10. In This Chapter. Keywords. Emergency Action. Ontario Poison Centre

Transcription

1 Chapter 10 First Aid In This Chapter Keywords Emergency Action After learning the information in this chapter, you will be able to: 1. Identify the Ontario Poison Centre phone number. 2. Describe first aid treatment for the four (4) routes of pesticide exposure. 3. Discuss ways to be prepared in case of a pesticide exposure. 4. List items to include in a first aid kit. exposure, , casualty, Ontario Poison Centre Although pesticides can be dangerous, they are unlikely to harm you if you: handle the products carefully follow label directions store the product safely wear all the protective clothing and personal protective equipment you need. See Chapter 11 - Protective Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment. However, in spite of all precautions, an unintentional incident with a pesticide could happen. Learn the signs of pesticide poisoning and know what to do in an emergency. Remember that the symptoms of a fatal pesticide poisoning can look like the flu or heat exhaustion. If someone has been working with pesticides and you see any possible symptoms of pesticide poisoning, take emergency action immediately. It is always better to be safe, than sorry. Prompt action may save a life. Ontario Poison Centre The Ontario Poison Centre provides one window service in Ontario to deal with poisoning emergencies. The Ontario Poison Centre is staffed by registered nurses, pharmacists, and physicians who are available by telephone to provide expert advice about all types of poisonings, including pesticide poisonings. Chapter 10 First Aid 113

2 Ontario Poison Centre Advice is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week The Ontario Poison Centre number is listed in the front page of the telephone book, or you can dial 0" and ask the operator to connect you. Ontario Poison Centre staff can: provide specific treatment and referral recommendations decide whether an ambulance is needed pass on information to paramedics and to your hospital while the casualty is being transported by ambulance call the pesticide manufacturer, CANUTEC and other organizations if more information is needed about the pesticide. CANUTEC is the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre operated by the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Directorate of Transport Canada. Read The Label First Aid information is available on every pesticide label. The details and location of first aid information will change for each pesticide, so be sure you read each label carefully. Read the First Aid section of the label before you begin to handle any pesticide. Show someone else the product label before you begin to handle the product. Make sure this person knows the product name, the active ingredients and their strength, the first aid information and the Pest Control Products Act registration number. He will need this information in case of an emergency. Take the label or container with you if you take a pesticide poisoning casualty to the hospital. Remember to cap the container for transport but do not put the pesticide container in the passenger compartment. If you cannot safely transport the container, take a photo of the label on the container with your cell phone. Provide the label or container to emergency personnel when you reach the hospital or if they come to the scene. The Pest Control Products Act registration number identifies the product. Some product manufacturers list a 24 hour emergency number on the label. 114 Chapter 10 First Aid

3 First Aid Treatment for Pesticide Incidents First Aid is the help that you can give at the scene, until the casualty receives professional medical help. If you have another person available to help, tell them to call for emergency help immediately while you begin these first aid steps: 1. Always protect yourself from injury first. Don t become another casualty. Always put on protective clothing and personal protective equipment before you enter a contaminated area or handle a contaminated casualty. 2. Check the scene to make sure it is safe. If it is safe, check the casualty s ABC Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. 3. Call and get an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) if the casualty has an altered level of consciousness or has difficulty breathing. If you suspect a poisoning, call Check to see if the casualty is breathing. If the casualty is NOT breathing: Open the casualty s airway and check for breaths. Sometimes, the simple act of removing an obstruction or opening the mouth can help breathing restart. If the casualty is not breathing, start CPR. Whether you are trained or not, you should provide chest compressions when someone suddenly collapses. The casualty could have pesticide or vomit around his face or mouth. Do not contaminate yourself. Use a protective airway device with a one way valve. Do not breathe the exhaled air from the casualty. Care for any life-threatening conditions. If the casualty IS breathing, but unconscious: Place the casualty in the recovery position (on the side with the head turned slightly to one side). If the casualty vomits, try to keep the airway clear. 5. Stop the exposure to the pesticide. Assess the risk. Move the casualty away from the contaminated area. Sometimes the casualty should not be moved. For example, a casualty who has fallen and suffered trauma, should not be moved. Instead, improve ventilation. Remove all contaminated clothing. Use soap and water to wash any skin exposed to the pesticide. Inhaled poisons can affect everyone. Stay out of the area if you suspect that the poison is still present. Chapter 10 First Aid 115

4 6. Call the Ontario Poison Centre - don t waste time. If you don t have all the facts about the incident, call anyway and tell the Ontario Poison Centre whatever you can. The Ontario Poison Centre needs to know: Product name Look for the label, container or left-over pesticide. Active ingredients and their strength Route of exposure How did it happen? Did it enter through the mouth, skin/eyes or lungs? Amount of exposure How much was the person exposed to? How long was the exposure? Time since exposure How much time has passed since exposure? Symptoms How is the patient doing? Were the symptoms immediate or did they occur as a result of using the pesticide over a longer period of time? Name, age and weight of the patient Contact information of the caller What is your name, phone number and where are you calling from? Treatment What have you done so far to treat the person? 7. Start the First Aid Treatment Start the First Aid treatment appropriate for the route of entry as advised by the Ontario Poison Centre or the label. 8. Make sure the patient gets medical attention if needed. First aid is not a substitute for professional medical help. The Ontario Poison Centre will tell you what medical follow up is needed. 116 Chapter 10 First Aid

5 General First Aid Guidelines The first aid treatment you use will depend on the route of entry of the pesticide. The casualty may have taken it in through the skin or eyes (dermal exposure), breathed the pesticide into the lungs (inhalation), or swallowed it (oral ingestion). Always check the label of the product the casualty was exposed to for extra first aid directions. The following information will help you deal with pesticide incidents. These are general guidelines only. They are listed in order of importance for treatment: inhalation, eyes, skin and ingestion. Always call the Ontario Poison Centre for specific treatment and referral recommendations. If Pesticide Was Inhaled Move the casualty to fresh air. Get the casualty to fresh air, but DO NOT enter into a hazardous atmosphere yourself. If the casualty is not breathing, start CPR. If the casualty has pesticide or vomit around her face or mouth, use a protective airway device with a one-way valve. Do not breathe the exhaled air from the casualty. Call Loosen tight clothing and remove any clothing contaminated with pesticide. Pesticide on the clothing may harm the rescuer as well as the casualty. If Pesticide Contacts Eyes Rinse the casualty s eyelids. If eyes are open, wash the eyes with large amounts of clean, cool, running water. Don t pry the eyes open. Wash for fifteen minutes or more. Contact the Ontario Poison Centre. The Ontario Poison Centre staff will tell you about symptoms you should watch for and will tell you if you need to go for medical attention. Chapter 10 First Aid 117

6 If Pesticide Contacts Skin Remove contaminated clothing and rinse skin with plenty of water. Wash skin, hair, nails, and underneath nails thoroughly with lots of soap and water. Wash for 15 minutes. Dry casualty and wrap her in a blanket or other clean material. Contact the Ontario Poison Centre. The Ontario Poison Centre staff will tell you about symptoms you should watch for and will tell you if you need to go for medical attention. Watch the casualty carefully for signs of severe allergic reaction that may lead to anaphylactic shock. Signs and symptoms of severe allergic reactions include: swelling of the lips, ears, hands and/or feet redness of the skin over the body such as a raised, itchy, blotchy rash (hives) weakness, dizziness breathing difficulty, coughing and wheezing that can progress to an obstructed airway as the tongue and throat swell Call Emergency Medical Services (EMS) immediately if the casualty has any breathing difficulty or complains that his/her throat is closing. For Chemical Burns on Skin Remove the chemical immediately to stop the burning. Do not wait for clothing to be removed. Brush dry chemicals off skin and clothes and away from the casualty, then rinse the affected area with lots of cool water. For liquid chemicals, rinse affected area with large amounts of cool water. Keep flooding the area with cool water while removing the casualty s clothing. Do not remove clothing that is stuck to the skin. Continue to pour cool water over the burned area. Cover with a loosely applied clean cloth. Get medical attention. 118 Chapter 10 First Aid

7 Do Not: touch the burned area remove clothing stuck to the skin break blisters use ointments or lotions try to neutralize the substance with another chemical ignore your symptoms If Pesticide Entered the Mouth but Was Not Swallowed Call the Ontario Poison Centre immediately. If the casualty is conscious and not convulsing, rinse the mouth with large quantities of water. Wipe the mouth with a damp cloth and brush teeth thoroughly. If Pesticide Was Swallowed Call the Ontario Poison Centre immediately. Never Induce Vomiting Some pesticide labels may give directions to cause vomiting if the pesticide has been swallowed. Never induce vomiting under any circumstances. It is extremely dangerous. Induce vomiting only if told to do so by the EMS dispatcher or the Ontario Poison Centre. If the casualty does vomit and you don t know what the poison is, be sure to collect some of the vomit for the doctor. Chapter 10 First Aid 119

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9 Practice Your Understanding 1. When an unintentional incident with a pesticide occurs and you must enter the contaminated area, what is the first thing you should do? 2. If a pesticide contacts your eyes, what should you do? 3. If a pesticide spills onto your arm, you should: a) rinse contaminated clothing and skin with plenty of water. b) rinse contaminated clothing and cover your skin with lotion or ointment. c) remove contaminated clothing and wash skin thoroughly with lots of soap and water. 4. For chemical burns on the skin, wash the affected area with large amounts of water, then use ointment, grease or powder on the burns. TRUE FALSE 5. List the proper first aid procedures you should follow when you help a casualty who has breathed in pesticide dusts, vapours or gases Chapter 10 First Aid 121

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