Poisoning first aid starts with protecting yourself, finding out what the casualty may have been exposed to and getting medical advice quickly. Poisoning can happen when someone swallows, breathes in, touches or is otherwise exposed to a harmful substance.

Medicines, household cleaning products, chemicals, alcohol, drugs, plants, pesticides and gases such as carbon monoxide can all cause poisoning.

Some poisons cause symptoms almost immediately. Others may take hours or even days to make someone unwell.

If you think someone may have been poisoned, do not wait for symptoms to appear before seeking medical advice.

What Is Poisoning?

Poisoning occurs when a harmful substance enters or affects the body.

Exposure can happen in several ways:

swallowing a harmful substance
breathing in fumes, gases or chemicals
absorbing a substance through the skin
getting a chemical into the eyes
taking too much medication
taking drugs or medicines in a dangerous combination

The effects depend on the substance, amount involved, route of exposure and the casualty’s age, size and health.

Children can be particularly vulnerable because a relatively small quantity of a harmful substance may represent a significant exposure.

What Can Cause Poisoning?

Common causes include:

prescription medicines
over-the-counter medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen
household cleaning products
bleach
laundry products
pesticides
industrial and workplace chemicals
alcohol
recreational drugs
poisonous plants
wild mushrooms
carbon monoxide

The NHS also lists medicines, household products, alcohol, drugs, plants, mushrooms, pesticides and workplace chemicals among common causes of poisoning.

Poisoning First Aid: What Should You Do?

If you think somebody has been exposed to a poison:

Make sure it is safe to approach.
Remove the casualty from continuing exposure if you can do so safely.
Call 999 for an emergency or seek appropriate medical advice.
Check the casualty’s responsiveness and breathing.
Try to identify the substance involved.
Do not make the casualty vomit.
Do not give them anything to eat or drink unless advised by a healthcare professional.
Monitor them closely while waiting for help.

The treatment required can vary considerably depending on the substance involved.

Do not guess at an antidote or home treatment.

When Should You Call 999 for Poisoning?

Call 999 or seek emergency hospital care if poisoning is suspected and the casualty:

becomes unresponsive
is not breathing normally
has severe difficulty breathing
is choking or gasping
has a seizure
becomes seriously unwell

The NHS also advises emergency assessment if you think someone, including a child, may have swallowed, touched or breathed in something harmful.

If you are unsure whether something someone has swallowed, touched or inhaled is harmful, contact NHS 111 for advice.

Do Not Make Someone Vomit

One of the most important rules of poisoning first aid is:

Do not deliberately make the casualty vomit.

Trying to make somebody sick can create additional problems.

They could choke on the vomit or inhale it into their lungs. Some corrosive substances may also cause further injury as they come back up through the throat and mouth.

Older advice and home remedies should not be used.

Do not give salt water or attempt to induce vomiting in any other way.

Should You Give Someone Water or Milk?

Do not routinely give a casualty food, water, milk or another drink after suspected poisoning.

The NHS advises not to give anything to eat or drink while waiting for medical help.

Different substances require different treatment, so something that seems sensible for one exposure could be inappropriate for another.

Follow the instructions given by the ambulance service, NHS 111 or another appropriate healthcare professional.

Try to Identify the Poison

If it is safe, find out what the casualty may have been exposed to.

Look for:

medicine packets
bottles
chemical containers
cleaning products
labels
safety information
discarded tablets
plants or mushrooms
alcohol or drug containers

Keep the packaging or container if possible.

Healthcare professionals may need information such as:

the name of the substance
its strength or concentration
approximately how much may have been involved
when the exposure happened
how the casualty was exposed

Do not put yourself at risk while trying to identify the substance.

Take the packaging or container to hospital if asked and if it is safe to do so.

What Are the Symptoms of Poisoning?

Symptoms vary according to the substance involved.

Possible signs and symptoms include:

nausea or vomiting
diarrhoea
abdominal pain
drowsiness
confusion
blurred vision
difficulty breathing
unusual behaviour
seizures
loss of consciousness

There may also be evidence around the casualty, such as empty medicine packets, spilled chemicals or unusual smells.

However, the absence of symptoms does not prove that somebody is safe.

Some poisons have delayed effects.

Get medical advice if poisoning is suspected.

What If the Casualty Becomes Unresponsive?

Stay with the casualty and monitor their condition.

If they become unresponsive but are breathing normally, protect their airway and place them in an appropriate recovery position unless their injuries or circumstances make this unsuitable.

Continue checking their breathing.

If they are unresponsive and not breathing normally, call 999 if this has not already been done and start CPR.

Our Seven Steps of CPR guide explains the adult CPR sequence.

You can also read our guide to Basic Life Support for more information about recognising cardiac arrest, CPR and AED use.

Be Careful About Your Own Safety

Some poisons can also present a risk to the first aider.

This is particularly important with:

gases
chemical fumes
pesticides
industrial chemicals
contaminated clothing
unknown powders or liquids

Do not enter a hazardous atmosphere simply because someone needs help.

You cannot help the casualty effectively if you also become poisoned.

Current Resuscitation Council UK guidance emphasises the importance of the first aider’s own safety when toxins are involved.

If there may be a dangerous gas, chemical release or contaminated environment, move away and call the emergency services.

What If Poison Has Contaminated the Casualty’s Mouth?

Be particularly careful when providing rescue breaths if the casualty’s mouth or airway may be contaminated by a toxic substance.

Direct contact could expose the rescuer to the poison.

Call 999 and follow the ambulance service’s instructions.

Where available and where you have been trained to use it, suitable resuscitation protective equipment may reduce direct contact.

If the casualty is in cardiac arrest and rescue breaths cannot safely be provided, chest compressions should not be unnecessarily delayed.

First Aid for Swallowed Poison

If someone has swallowed something potentially poisonous:

get medical help
identify the substance if possible
keep the packaging
monitor the casualty
do not make them vomit
do not give food or drink unless advised

Do not attempt to neutralise a chemical by giving another substance.

For example, do not try to treat an acid by giving something alkaline or vice versa.

Leave specialist treatment to healthcare professionals.

First Aid for Inhaled Poison

Poisoning can also occur when a harmful gas, vapour or fume is breathed in.

Possible sources include:

carbon monoxide
smoke
chemical fumes
solvents
industrial gases
pesticides

The first priority is your own safety.

Do not enter an enclosed or contaminated area if doing so could expose you to the same substance.

If the casualty can safely move away from the source, get them into fresh air.

Call 999 where there is serious exposure, breathing difficulty, altered consciousness or other significant symptoms.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is particularly dangerous because you cannot see or smell it.

It can be produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal or wood do not burn properly.

Symptoms can include:

headache
dizziness
nausea
weakness
confusion
breathing problems
chest pain
loss of consciousness

Symptoms may improve when someone leaves the affected building and worsen when they return.

If you suspect carbon monoxide:

get outside into fresh air and seek medical advice.

Do not go back into the affected building until it has been declared safe.

Call 999 for severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, sudden confusion, loss of consciousness, significant weakness or chest pain.

Chemical Poisoning on the Skin

If a harmful chemical gets onto the skin, protect yourself before helping.

Avoid touching the substance with bare hands.

Depending on the chemical involved, first aid may include:

removing contaminated clothing
brushing away a dry chemical before irrigation where appropriate
rinsing the affected area with plenty of water

However, chemical incidents can vary considerably.

Follow product safety information and emergency service instructions.

For significant chemical exposure, call 999.

What If a Chemical Gets in the Eyes?

Chemical eye injuries require prompt action.

If a harmful chemical enters the eye, irrigate it with plenty of clean water as soon as possible.

Avoid contaminating the unaffected eye.

Remove contact lenses if this can be done easily, but do not waste time struggling with them.

Seek urgent medical advice.

Chemical eye injuries can cause serious damage and should not be dismissed simply because the casualty initially feels better.

Medication Poisoning and Overdose

Medicines are one of the common causes of poisoning.

An overdose can be:

accidental
caused by taking the wrong dose
caused by taking doses too close together
caused by combining medicines
deliberate

Do not assume an overdose is harmless because the casualty currently feels well.

Some medicines can cause serious internal damage before obvious symptoms develop.

Keep the medicine packaging and seek medical advice immediately.

Paracetamol Overdose

Paracetamol deserves particular attention because someone may initially appear relatively well following an overdose.

Serious liver damage can develop later.

If someone may have taken more paracetamol than recommended, seek urgent medical advice rather than waiting to see whether symptoms develop.

Take the packet or container with you where possible.

Opioid Overdose

Current Resuscitation Council UK first aid guidance specifically addresses opioid poisoning.

Possible signs include:

very slow breathing
irregular breathing
absent breathing
extreme drowsiness
unresponsiveness
very small pupils

If you suspect an opioid overdose:

call 999
check responsiveness and breathing
start CPR if the casualty is unresponsive and not breathing normally
administer naloxone if you are trained and it is available
continue monitoring the casualty until emergency help arrives

Only use medication such as naloxone if you have been trained to use it.

Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning can be life-threatening.

Someone who has consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol may:

become confused
vomit repeatedly
have a seizure
breathe slowly or irregularly
become very pale
lose consciousness

Do not assume that someone who is difficult to wake is simply “sleeping it off”.

Call 999 if you are concerned that someone has alcohol poisoning or their level of consciousness or breathing is affected.

Do not leave an unconscious person alone.

Poisoning in Babies and Children

Young children may explore the world by putting objects into their mouths, making accidental poisoning a particular concern for parents and carers.

Potential risks include:

medicines
cleaning products
laundry capsules
cosmetics
nicotine products
alcohol
garden chemicals
plants
button batteries and other hazardous objects

If you think a child may have swallowed, touched or breathed in something harmful, get medical advice immediately.

Do not wait for the child to become unwell.

Do not make them vomit and do not give them food or drink unless instructed by a healthcare professional.

Parents and people working with children can learn how to manage medical emergencies through practical Paediatric First Aid training.

Preventing Poisoning at Home

Many poisoning incidents can be prevented.

Useful precautions include:

keeping medicines out of children’s reach
preferably storing medicines and chemicals in locked cupboards
leaving chemicals in their original containers
never transferring chemicals into drinks bottles
following medicine dosage instructions
using child-resistant closures correctly
fitting safety catches to cupboards where necessary
storing cleaning products securely
identifying potentially harmful plants
installing appropriate carbon monoxide alarms

The NHS recommends a carbon monoxide alarm in each room containing an appliance that burns gas, oil, coal or wood.

Poisoning in the Workplace

Some workplaces have additional poisoning risks because employees work with chemicals, fumes, gases, pesticides or other hazardous substances.

Employers should identify these hazards through appropriate risk assessments and control exposure.

First aid arrangements should reflect the risks present in the workplace.

Employees should know:

what substances they work with
how exposure can occur
what protective equipment is required
where safety information is kept
how to raise the alarm
what first aid arrangements are available

First aiders should not be expected to enter an unsafe contaminated environment.

Our guide to the legal requirement for first aid at work explains how employers should consider first aid provision.

Should You Keep Activated Charcoal in a First Aid Kit?

Activated charcoal is sometimes used medically for certain types of poisoning.

That does not mean members of the public should routinely give activated charcoal following suspected poisoning.

Whether it is appropriate depends on the substance involved, timing and clinical circumstances.

Do not administer it as a home first aid treatment unless specifically directed by an appropriate healthcare professional.

The same principle applies to supposed antidotes and home remedies.

Poisoning First Aid: What Not to Do

When dealing with suspected poisoning:

DO NOT make the casualty vomit.

DO NOT give them food or drink unless advised.

DO NOT give a home remedy or improvised antidote.

DO NOT expose yourself to dangerous chemicals, gases or fumes.

DO NOT assume the casualty is safe because they have no symptoms yet.

DO NOT leave a seriously unwell or unconscious casualty alone.

Instead, identify the substance where possible, get appropriate medical help and monitor the casualty.

Poisoning First Aid: What to Remember

The main poisoning first aid principles are:

MAKE IT SAFE

Protect yourself from the substance before helping.

GET HELP

Call 999 for an emergency or seek appropriate medical advice.

IDENTIFY THE SUBSTANCE

Keep containers, packets and labels where possible.

DO NOT INDUCE VOMITING

This can cause additional harm.

DO NOT GIVE FOOD OR DRINK

Unless instructed by a healthcare professional.

MONITOR THE CASUALTY

Watch their responsiveness and breathing.

START CPR IF REQUIRED

If they become unresponsive and are not breathing normally.

The NHS poisoning guidance provides further information about recognising poisoning, getting medical help and what to do while waiting.

Current Resuscitation Council UK First Aid Guidelines also provide current UK guidance for first aid providers responding to life-threatening emergencies, including poisoning and opioid overdose.

Poisoning First Aid Guide. What to Do in an Emergency

Learn Emergency First Aid Skills

Reading about poisoning first aid can help you understand what to do, but poisoning is only one of the emergencies a first aider may encounter.

Practical training gives you the opportunity to learn how to assess a casualty, recognise deterioration and respond confidently when something goes wrong.

First Aid and Safety Training provides:

We provide practical first aid training for individuals and organisations across the North East.

Explore our first aid training across the North East or contact First Aid and Safety Training to discuss your requirements.

You can also view our South Shields training centre and customer reviews on Google Maps.

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