There are many dangerous, poisonous substances around the house that can be mistaken to be safe, ingestible substances. Two of these substances that can be used everyday are distilled vinegar and ammonia. This paper will discuss the dangers of ammonia poisoning when accidentally inhaled or ingested.
Both these products are clear liquids that have a strong odor. Vinegar is used in baking, salad dressings, marinades and can also be ingested daily for health benefits. A child can observe an adult using vinegar and assume it’s okay. Ammonia can be used as a cleaning product and produces toxic fumes that can irritate and burn the respiratory tract. Ammonia’s strong odor is usually a deterrent from ingesting, however, vinegar also has a strong …show more content…
If the ammonia is on the skin, wash the skin with water for at least 15 minutes. If in the eyes, rinse the eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. If the ammonia was ingested, do not have the person vomit. Also, do not give any water or milk product to swallow. Contact the Poison Control Center (PCC) number 1-800-222-2222 and follow the instructions. PCC instructions trump these instructions. PCC will ask for age of child, weight, height, amount swallowed and how long ago it was swallowed. Or, how much was exposed to …show more content…
There are several interventions that can be done in a home to prevent accidental poisoning. Ammonia should be kept in a locked cabinet, or put away in a location that a child cannot reach like the garage or a high shelf. The ammonia container should be marked clearly as poisonous. Use a black market to write, “Poison” and “DO NOT TOUCH” on the front and back of the container. Writing a large black or red X across the front of the container may be a sufficient deterrent to leave the container alone. Or obtain POISON stickers to place on the containers. Keep all cleaning products in the same area away from ingestible products because any adult can also make the mistake of using ammonia for vinegar. Even though vinegar can be used as a household cleaner, it’s also safe to ingest so it should be kept
Both these products are clear liquids that have a strong odor. Vinegar is used in baking, salad dressings, marinades and can also be ingested daily for health benefits. A child can observe an adult using vinegar and assume it’s okay. Ammonia can be used as a cleaning product and produces toxic fumes that can irritate and burn the respiratory tract. Ammonia’s strong odor is usually a deterrent from ingesting, however, vinegar also has a strong …show more content…
If the ammonia is on the skin, wash the skin with water for at least 15 minutes. If in the eyes, rinse the eyes with water for at least 15 minutes. If the ammonia was ingested, do not have the person vomit. Also, do not give any water or milk product to swallow. Contact the Poison Control Center (PCC) number 1-800-222-2222 and follow the instructions. PCC instructions trump these instructions. PCC will ask for age of child, weight, height, amount swallowed and how long ago it was swallowed. Or, how much was exposed to …show more content…
There are several interventions that can be done in a home to prevent accidental poisoning. Ammonia should be kept in a locked cabinet, or put away in a location that a child cannot reach like the garage or a high shelf. The ammonia container should be marked clearly as poisonous. Use a black market to write, “Poison” and “DO NOT TOUCH” on the front and back of the container. Writing a large black or red X across the front of the container may be a sufficient deterrent to leave the container alone. Or obtain POISON stickers to place on the containers. Keep all cleaning products in the same area away from ingestible products because any adult can also make the mistake of using ammonia for vinegar. Even though vinegar can be used as a household cleaner, it’s also safe to ingest so it should be kept