In case of swallowed medicine, call poison control or 911?
I haven't had to experience this situation, but a story made me wonder what I should do in the event that someone swallows a lot of chemicals- enough to potentially be lethal, maybe.
A specific example:
Someone swallows several bottles of pills. I find them and they tell me what they did, or their actions are readily apparent- somehow I know what they've done. Should I call poison control first or 911? Should I just try to get to the ER with them as fast as possible?
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It depends on the status of your child. If the child is breathing, conscious and in little to no immediate distress/danger; then you first call should be to the Poison Control Center, they can then advise you on what to do.
If the child is in distress - difficulty breathing, intense pain etc. - , unconscious and/or not breathing you need to contact EMS (Emergency Medical Services) immediately.
The emergency dispatcher or person with the Poison Control Center will also remind you of the following: if you are advised to administer and oral anecdote do not under any circumstances administer it to a child with an altered level of consciousness. If at any time a dispatcher or some such does advise you to do so; make sure that they understand that the child is either unconscious or clearly unable to swallow for some such reason but do not argue with them (most dispatchers have received at least basic training in emergency medical procedures as directed by state and national standards)*.
Your location may also make a difference; if you are in a rural area you may need to more carefully weigh your options. Just be sure you make the calmest, most logical decisions possible and do your best to stay calm and keep the child calm. If you are calm and confident, the child will feel that and feel more comfortable.
*I included the part about making sure dispatch knows that the child is altered because they may ask you to go ahead with treatment depending on the situation. In the case of someone suffering from hypoglycemia - low blood sugar -, you may well be asked to rub honey or some such into the person's gums.
According to the US Dept. of Health and Human Services Poison Help website and the Mayo Clinic, you should first call Poison Control, unless the victim is unconscious, having trouble breathing, having seizures, or is "uncontrollably restless or agitated" (I assume this is meant to be a proxy for high adrenaline levels, and not meant to imply simply stressed out from being possibly poisoned).
This is because often Poison Control can resolve cases of potential poisoning, and is a strictly better resource than 911 for triaging many cases (which is not staffed by medical professionals).
Your example is on the more serious side, but it still is highly relevant what that bottle is. If it's something you are certain needs immediate attention (sleeping pills for example) I would call 911 first and then call poison control - but if it's something you're not sure about, call Poison Control. They'll answer right away, and the 15-30 seconds it takes to get your answer may be worth it in terms of advising the EMTs of the specific dangers of the situation.
How you should react will depend on what your child has gotten into and how they are currently acting.
First, lets clarify what each option will get you.
Poison Control (U.S.: 1-800-222-1222)
See This URL for information about who you will be talking to (medical experts in toxicology), what information they will ask you, etc. The Poison Control Center is a hotline staffed by specialists and are registered nurses or pharmacists at the least. Based on the information you provide, they will be able to tell you whether or not you need to worry, what symptoms to keep an eye out for, and if necessary, treatment (for example, whether or not to induce vomiting). They may tell you that you need to go to a hospital, or they may tell you that everything's fine and you can take care of it at home (or not even worry about it).
Emergency Services (U.S.: 911)
Emergency Services is not staffed by medical specialists. While they may have some basic knowledge of first aid and such, they will not be as knowledgeable or helpful as calling Poison Control. That said, emergency services will be able to dispatch an ambulance to your location, which may be necessary depending on the circumstances (bear in mind, depending on distance to the hospital, availability of an ambulance, and other factors, waiting on an ambulance may be slower than driving to the hospital yourself).
Now, if you know that they have definitely ingested a poisonous substance and are exhibiting strong symptoms, you may wish to just jump in the car and rush to the ER. During the drive, you can have your partner or someone else call Poison Control for suggestions.
If you are unsure if they have ingested the poisonous substance or are unsure if it's necessarily dangerous, call Poison Control immediately. They are very helpful and will be able to tell you what to do (they may tell you to immediately go to the ER or call 911).
If you know that they have ingested a poisonous substance and are unable to drive to the hospital for any reason, or are not near your vehicle, or there is some other obstacle to prevent you from quickly making your way to the hospital yourself, you may wish to call 911 (again, assuming they're exhibiting strong symptoms or you know what they got into and what the effects are). If possible, you can have one person call 911 while another calls Poison Control to cover your bases.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I work for emergency services. The above is meant to inform to the best of my knowledge, but follow your own judgment in an emergency. When you call 911 or Poison Control, they will be able to help you to figure out what to do. The most important thing to do in any emergency is keep calm - the last thing you want to do is cause even more problems by freaking out and getting in a car crash on your way to the hospital or something.
911 will get you help faster, Poison Control will get you accurate information faster.
I'd say it depends on what the medication is, how much, and how the victim is acting. If my wife and I were both home, we'd call both at the same time.
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