School is out and kids are excited about going swimming! Pools and other water venues are places where germs can spread and injuries can happen.

Pool chemicals are added to the water to kill germs and maximize disinfection. However, the same pool chemicals can also injure us if they're not handled and stored safely. Preventable injuries from pool chemicals led to nearly 5,000 emergency room visits in 2012. Nearly half of these preventable injuries were in children and teenagers and more than a third of these preventable injuries occurred at a home rather than a community pool.

 

Residential pool owners and public pool operators can follow these simple and effective steps to prevent pool chemical injuries:

  • Read and follow directions on product labels.
  • Wear appropriate safety equipment, such as goggles and masks, as directed, when handling pool chemicals.
  • Secure pool chemicals to protect people and animals.
    • Keep young children away when handling chemicals.
  • NEVER mix different pool chemicals with each other, especially chlorine products with acid.
  • Pre-dissolve pool chemicals ONLY when directed by product label.
  • Add pool chemicals to water, NEVER water to any pool chemical.

If someone is exposed to chemicals:  

  • If chemical comes in contact with eyes:
    • Flush eyes with running water.
    • Call Poison Center.
  • If chemical comes in contact with skin:
    • Remove any contaminated clothing.
    • Flush skin with running water.
    • Call Poison Center.

  • If victim has difficulty breathing:

    • Move victim to fresh air.
    • Call 9-1-1.

     

Always keep an eye on children and teens around pools. For questions or concerns, call the Texas Poison Center Network experts at 1-800-222-1222.  
  
  
  
  
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Acetaminophen changes 

The FDA is reminding health care professionals to stop prescribing and pharmacists to stop dispensing prescription combination drug products that contain more than 325 milligrams (mg) of acetaminophen per tablet, capsule, or other dosage unit. These products are no longer considered safe by FDA and have been voluntarily withdrawn.For more information, please check out our blog here. 

 
The number of calls to poison centers involving e-cigarette liquids containing nicotine continues to rise. More than half of the calls to poison centers due to e-cigarettes involve young children under age 5, and about 42 percent of the poison calls involve people age 20 and older.

Nationally, the proportion of e-cigarette calls has jumped from 0.3 percent in September 2010 to 41.7 percent in February 2014.  Poisoning from conventional cigarettes is generally due to young children eating them. Poisoning related to e-cigarettes involves the liquid containing nicotine used in the devices and can occur in three ways: by ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin or eyes.

E-cigarette liquids as currently sold are a threat to small children because they are not required to be childproof, and they come in candy and fruit flavors that are appealing to children.

E-cigarette calls are more likely than cigarette calls to include a report of an adverse health effect following exposure. The most common adverse health effects mentioned in e-cigarette calls were vomiting, nausea and eye irritation. 

 Always keep e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine locked up and out of the reach of children.
  • These products should be disposed of properly to prevent exposure to pets and children from the residue or liquid left in the container.  
  • Protect your skin when handling these products. 
  • If you think someone has been exposed to an e-cigarette or liquid nicotine, call your local poison center at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.