Subscribe today for more stories, tips, and updates.

Cincinnati Children's Blog
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • ?
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • ?
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
HOME/Safety and Prevention/Accidental Exposure to Substances at School: Keeping Safety Top of Mind

Accidental Exposure to Substances at School: Keeping Safety Top of Mind

Accidental Exposure to Substances at School: Keeping Safety Top of Mind
August 13, 2018
1 Comments
By: Sheila Goertemoeller, PharmD, D.ABAT

If you are like me, you may feel like this summer has flown by!

My family just finished our back-to-school supply shopping and are gearing up for another year. As I passed through the rows of gel pens, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizers and glue, I was reminded of how many calls we fielded in the Drug and Poison Information Center (DPIC) last year related to accidental exposures at school. As a pharmacist at DPIC, these are the things I think about often.

Overall, the American Association of Poison Control Centers gets around 29,000 calls about school exposures every year. While some of them may occur due to dares or pranks, most (76%) are unintentional and avoidable. Licking hand sanitizer, chewing on pens, drinking nicotine liquid, and swallowing items like parts of a fidget spinner, are some examples of exposures that typically happen during school hours.

I’d like to give a little more information about the types of calls we received related to exposures that take place at school. Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime, but many can be prevented with a little information sharing and awareness spreading. If you’re a parent, feel free to share this with your school and teachers. If you’re a teacher, share it with your colleagues!

Top Calls Related to Accidental Exposures at School

 

  1. Medications

    Medication overdose during school hours typically happens during those hectic mornings when parents are just trying to make it out the door on time. In my house, that’s pretty much every morning. In this scenario, one parent hasn’t communicated to the other parent that he or she gave their child medication, and the child accidentally gets two doses. Or, one of the parents gave their child medication when it was supposed to happen at school that day. In either of these scenarios, a chart may help. That way, there’s a visual representation of the schedule, which may help improve communication.

  2. Hand sanitizer

    Schools use hand sanitizer because it’s the quickest and easiest way to prevent illness from spreading. But it’s important to keep in mind that hand sanitizers can have more than 60% ethyl alcohol, which is the same type found in beer or wine. Due to their small size, children are more likely to get toxicity symptoms than adults.  It can affect their central nervous system and slow down breathing. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping the hand surface wet with hand sanitizer for at least 15 seconds. Teach kids how to use hand sanitizers safely, by rubbing it in thoroughly and telling them to never lick their hands or rub their eyes right after use.

  3. Pen, pencils and glue

    Children use pencils and pens in school every day. When children absent-mindedly chew on pens, the ink can explode in their mouths. Most pen ink is non-toxic and tolerated well if some gets in the mouth. We’ll also get calls from worried parents and teachers because a child has eaten a lead pencil and they’re concerned he or she might get lead poisoning. Fortunately, pencils are now made of graphite and not lead. Even though school glue is non-toxic, it should not be eaten.

  4. Fidget spinners

    Some schools allow fidgets spinners in their classrooms. If this is the case at your school, please inform children that the pieces can break off easily. They may need a reminder to not put them in their mouths, as it is a choking and swallowing risk.

School safety is a partnership between parents, teachers and administrators. I recommend saving the poison control number in your phone, that way you are prepared in an emergency, or can ask a question: 1-800-222-1222. We are available 24/7 and can help walk you through what’s concerning, what isn’t, and next steps.

For any concerns about accidental exposures, please call your Drug and Poison Information Center at 1-800-222-1222 or text “POISON” to 797979 to have it saved in your smart phone.

Subscribe today for more stories, tips, and updates.

Related Articles

Parents, Know the Dangers of Water Beads
Parents, Know the Dangers of Water Beads
Internet Challenges: Know the Dangers
Internet Challenges: Know the Dangers
Stay Safe Outside this Fall: Avoid Wild Mushrooms and Berries
Stay Safe Outside this Fall: Avoid Wild Mushrooms and Berries
What to Know About Poisonous Summer Plants In Ohio
What to Know About Poisonous Summer Plants In Ohio
TAGS:
  • drug and poison control
  • drugs and alcohol
Avatar photo

About the author: Sheila Goertemoeller, PharmD, D.ABAT

Sheila Goertemoeller PharmD, DABAT, ICPS, is a pharmacist and clinical toxicologist. She has more than 20 years of experience at the Drug and Poison Information Center Hotline at Cincinnati Children’s.

Write A Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

tryingtokeepittogethermom August 23, 2018 at 7:40 pm

This is a great article, but you forget to mention the growing audience of children with mast cell activation and allergies. Exposure at school for a parent is one of the hardest things to let go of, because you have little control. So much emphasis on food for everything, even bathroom rewards at my sons! Craziness to a mom that has a child that is chemically sensitive. The awareness is just not there. We need professionals to help as well step in and help our schools be more neutral in the way of exposures to pesticides, cleaning materials, fragrances, foods, etc…

Topics

  • Cancer and Blood Diseases
  • Child Development and Behavior
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Chronic Care Networks
  • Cincinnati Walks for Kids
  • Featured Faces
  • Fetal Conditions
  • Fitness and Nutrition
  • Food Allergies
  • Ghana 2012
  • Health Care Public Policy
  • Health Care Quality
  • Health Care Reform
  • Healthy Living
  • Heart Conditions
  • Hospital Operations
  • How We Do It
  • Learning and Growing
  • Meet The Team
  • Nurses Week 2012
  • Patient Family Experience
  • Patient Flow
  • Patient Safety
  • Patient Stories
  • Pin of the Week
  • Radiology
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Research
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Share Your Story
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • Vaccines
  • Volunteerism
  • What Makes Us Different
  • What's New
See All Topics
See Less Topics

Subscribe

Never miss a post! Sign up to get new blog updates delivered to your email.

Popular Posts

  • 6 Questions to Ask When Your Child Complains of Chest Pain 1.9k views
  • Caring for the Caregivers of Children with Congenital Heart Disease  1.5k views
  • Febrile Seizures: Why They Happen and What to Do 783 views
  • Bedwetting Solutions: Tips for Helping Your Child Overcome It 740 views
  • Laryngomalacia: Is My Child’s Noisy Breathing Serious? 725 views
  • Stuttering In Young Kids: When To Be Concerned 708 views
About

The Cincinnati Children’s blog features thoughts and perspectives from our experts on all things pediatric health. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn More »

Contact Us
  • 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
  • 1-513-636-4200 | 1-800-344-2462
  • TTY: 1-513-636-4900
  • socialmedia@cchmc.org
Connect With Us
  • Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us

© 2009-2022 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center