Bill Klaproth (Host): This is UAMS Health Talk, a podcast from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. I'm Bill Klaproth, and with me is Charlie Stutts, an education coordinator and health educator for the Arkansas Poison Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, as we talk about the Arkansas Poison Center at UAMS. Charlie, welcome.

Charlie Stutts, BS: Thanks, Bill.

Host: You bet. And thank you for being here. We appreciate it. So, let's start with this, Charlie. What is a poison?

Charlie Stutts, BS: A poison bill can be any substance that's absorbed or eaten, that's out of the ordinary that can cause an injury or a death to a person.

Host: Okay, so absorbed or eaten. So, that's good to know. So when we talk about things that are absorbed or eaten, what are the most common poisons or hazards that we need to be concerned about?

Charlie Stutts, BS: The most common, particularly in children are medicinals, cleaners, nicotine, and any variety of edibles that are on the market today.

Host: So, we really need to watch out about those things. I've heard about kids eating Tide Pods. You've really got to watch out to make sure kids don't get a hold of those types of things. Is that right?

Charlie Stutts, BS: That's right, Bill. They're in virtually every household or business. There's some type of cleaning substance. The Tide pods are very easy to use. And a lot of people have them. It's not necessarily just Tide, I don't want to single them out or anything. It is a certain product, but there are a lot of cleaning substances that come like those that children think are candy and they'll bite into.

Host: Well, they're very colorful, so it's easy to see-- even the dish washing pods too that you put in there-- so, it's easy to see why kids would mistake those for candy. But when you think about all the cleaners under sinks too, those are really, really important. So, make sure you understand that, make sure you lock those cabinets up or put them up high where kids can't get to those things.

Okay, let's talk about another one. Carbon monoxide poisoning, really dangerous because you really can't see it, right? So, can you tell us what are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, and what should you do immediately if you're concerned?

Charlie Stutts, BS: If you feel that you've been poisoned by carbon monoxide or exposed, you need to get to fresh air immediately. You need to leave the house or the business, wherever you're at because the antidote is going to be fresh, ambient air. Some of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be a headache, a shortness of breath. It can be weakness, confusion, any sleepiness, nausea, and vomiting, and dizziness. So, all those are carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. So, a lot of people just really don't realize they're being poisoned. They can be poisoned while they're asleep at night. So, it's almost always important to have a carbon monoxide detector in the home.

Host: So, that's an interesting list of symptoms, headaches, shortness of breath, confusion. You said a host of others. Some people might confuse those with, "Wow, it's something I ate" or "I'm just not feeling well." So, it is really important if you experience those symptoms and you have the heater on or a space heater on, you might want to think about potential carbon monoxide poisoning. Would that be right?

Charlie Stutts, BS: That's right. And occasionally, you do need to have the heating furnace replaced. I had that happen to me before. It was an old heater. It was emitting carbon monoxide. And to be safe, the installer decided it was an uninhabitable home until it was replaced, and I got it replaced immediately.

Host: That's very scary. So, why or when should you call the poison hotline? Some people might think, "Nah, I'm just going to wait this out?" When do people call? When do you recommend they call you?

Charlie Stutts, BS: With any question or concern regarding a toxic substance, call immediately. Don't hesitate. We're not out to get anyone. We're completely confidential. We're free. And we're 24 hours a day.

Host: And then, once somebody calls, do you have a list of questions? What are the next steps? How do you help to determine whether or not they should come in or not?

Charlie Stutts, BS: Sure. Every call has a medical record attached to it. And therefore, the poison specialist needs to know the person's complete name. They need to know the place in which they're calling, what city or town, and importantly, what substance was ingested or absorbed, what time it occurred, and any symptoms the patient is having.

Host: Someone might not know if somebody ingested something like, "I think my child might have eaten this." What do you do in that situation?

Charlie Stutts, BS: Right. So, over the phone, it can be really difficult to get a perfect health history. So, the poison center in every poison center in the country practices defensive medicine. If there's any doubt, whatsoever whether a child had gotten into spilled nicotine, they're going to be referred to the emergency room. If it's all over their face and their hands, there's no room for error in that instance. So oftentimes with the child exposure, we do not know the concentration, the amount, the child is having symptoms, you're immediately going to be referred to ER.

Host: Just to reiterate, Charlie, you said the poison control center at UAMS is open 24/7 for emergencies. Is that correct?

Charlie Stutts, BS: That is correct. The poison center will be open any holiday, late at night. Someone is always at the poison center taking the call.

Host: And you cover all kinds of poisonings? Basically everything that comes in, you handle?

Charlie Stutts, BS: That's right, Bill. We have an extensive database. There are over 80 million toxic substances in the United States. And our databases can normally tease out that substance specifically and determine what the toxicity is in the levels of safe ranges of ingestion. And then, make a decision whether the person needs medical treatment or they can be observed at home. Often the poison center does followup with the patient for a day or two or longer to make sure that they're not having any toxic symptoms at all.

Host: That number to call is 1-800-222-1222. That's 1-800-222-1222, as we've been mentioning it. Charlie, I want to thank you so much for your time. This has really been informative. Before we go, is there anything else you want to add about poisonings or precautions or anything else?

Charlie Stutts, BS: I would like to add that children under four years old account for about three quarters of poisonings in the United States. Therefore, if you have a new child or a grandchild who's starting to crawl or walk, be sure and try to poison-proof your home if you can. That's impossible to completely poison-proof it, but try to go through all the kitchen cabinetry, bathrooms. Certainly take inventory of any strong heart medicines, diabetes drugs, pain medicines, make sure those are properly stored and locked up oftentimes. So, there's no chance that that child can get into that substance or medicine.

Host: Great advice. Charlie, thank you again for your time. We appreciate it.

Charlie Stutts, BS: Thank you, Bill.

Host: Once again, That is Charlie Stutts. For a poison exposure or medication question, please call the hotline as we've been talking about. That number again is 1-800-222-1222, 1-800-222-1222. As Charlie said, if you think you have any kind of exposure to a poison, call. Just make the call. Don't worry about it. As he said, they're not out to get you. They're not going to judge you. Make the call. Better safe than sorry.

And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. This is UAMS Health Talk, a podcast from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Thanks for listening.