10,500 poisonings at home last year
The National Poisons Information Centre warns the public about picking and eating wild mushrooms as they can cause severe symptoms, including liver and kidney damage. Picture: Andrew Harris
Calls to the agency dealing with poisonings jumped 10% to almost 12,000 last year – with the likes of cleaning sachets, laundry tablets and wild mushrooms joining paracetamol and ibuprofen among the culprits.
The National Poisons Information Centre of Ireland (NPIC) said in its annual report that paracetamol and ibuprofen were the medicines with the most queries, followed by multivitamins.
The busiest month was August, while the busiest times of the day for calls to the NPIC were from 4pm to 9pm.
Queries were split almost evenly between healthcare professionals and members of the public, the NPIC said.
Two-thirds of enquiries involved children and teenagers (66%), with children between one and four-years-old being the peak age group for poisoning, at just under 5,200.
@IrelandNpic Annual Report 2019
— NPICIreland - National Poisons Information Centre (@IrelandNpic) December 10, 2020
Poisoning demographics
- The majority of enquiries involved children and teenagers (66%)
- The peak age group for poisoning enquiries was 1-4 years (45.1%).
- Age was not defined in 8.2% of enquiries. pic.twitter.com/4bKFZEI2Uf
More than 10,500 poisonings occurred at home.
In comparison, just 245 happened in work places, 164 in nursing or care homes, and 69 in schools or crèches.
While 54% of poisonings involved medications, a fifth were due to household products such fabric detergents and multipurpose cleaners.
A further 16% were industrial agents including alcohols, corrosive substances, essential oils and hydrocarbons, the report said.
Alcohol, bleach, disinfectant, washing machine capsules and dishwasher tablets joined paracetamol, ibuprofen and multivitamins among the top 10 culprits.
Of the more than 3,300 queries relating to household incidents, the most common products were liquid detergent capsules, bleach, disinfectants, antiseptics, sanitisers and dishwasher tablets.
Of the almost 7,300 calls involving children under 14, 85% of children were asymptomatic when the NPIC was contacted.
Some 14% had minor or moderate symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, drowsiness or a mild local skin reaction, while just six patients had severe symptoms.
There were no fatalities in 2019, the centre said.
Dr Edel Duggan, clinical director of the NPIC, said it was “really vital” that people were aware of common household items which could result in poisoning.
“With people spending more time than ever at home in 2020, we all need to be aware of the household items which could affect children, especially younger children who may not recognise the danger of these products,” she said.
Ms Duggan also sounded a warning about seasonal mushroom picking.
“Some of these caused severe symptoms and we would advise against members of the public foraging for or ingesting wild mushrooms unless they have a trained mycologist who can identify the mushroom. Some mushroom varieties that grow wild in Ireland can cause liver and kidney damage,” she said.
@IrelandNpic Annual Report 2019
— NPICIreland - National Poisons Information Centre (@IrelandNpic) December 10, 2020
Source of enquiries to the NPIC
• 48% enquiries were from healthcare professionals in primary care, hospitals, community pharmacies & veterinary practices
• 51% enquiries were from members of the public
• 1% enquiries came from other sources pic.twitter.com/XVewkPyhsT
The NPIC said its public poisons information line is available seven days a week between 8am and 10pm for queries from the public, aimed at parents, where it can rapidly advise if they need to seek urgent medical attention for their child.
Outside of these hours, parents should contact their GP service or a hospital emergency department, Ms Duggan said.
The NPIC staff has six specialists in poisons information.
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