Accidental poisoning from cleaning agents doubles in March: Health Canada

Toronto-
According to data from the Poison Control Center and Health Canada, more Canadians are accidentally poisoning themselves with detergents while trying to disinfect their homes.

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The Federal Department of Health confirmed to CTVNews.ca a call to the Poison Control Center for hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and bleaches, an increase of 103% from the same month of 2019 to March.

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The center made 985 phone calls for cleaning products in March compared to 485 in March 2019

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Health Canada said the surge in cases of home sequestration measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increased time spent at home, including children, and increased use and stockpiles of cleaning agents.

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Looking at the total for February and March, cleaning-related poisoning calls increased by 58%. April numbers not yet available. This is because most areas of Canada have been locked for one month.

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The staff at Ontario Poison Controls were initially surprised by the increasing number of phone inquiries about product cleaning, said Medical Director Dr. Margaret Thompson. This includes an increasing number of children taking hand sanitizers that contain a significant amount of alcohol, and people suffering from improper use of bleach and other products.

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Overall, OPC called 318 calls for product cleaning in March, a 2.5x increase from 127 in March 2019.

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Thompson told CTVNews.ca that toxic centers across the country have asked Health Canada to collate data from several countries.

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“I thought it was important to send a message to this in general.”

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The Poison Control Center is staffed with specialized doctors, nurses and pharmacists who seek treatment advice from the general public for guidance and medical personnel in emergency rooms, clinics and clinics.

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But the data may not be a complete picture of the exposure, as poisoning is not a case to report in Canada, says Thompson, an emergency room doctor at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

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In toxic phone calls related to cleaning products, exposure is defined as swallowing, inhaling the product, inhaling harmful fumes, or irritating the skin.

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Dr Tom Kosatsky, Medical Director of Environmental Health Services at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in BC, says he is constantly inquired about the misuse and intake of detergents, but reports to the Drug & Poison Information Center are up 60%. . From mid-March to mid-April was a concern.

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“People are at home, worried, trying to kill the virus, but some products use these products too much,” he said in a telephone interview with CTVNews.ca.

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He recalled that the February and March calls in which concerns about the coronavirus were escalated were mostly about adults, mixing bleach with other substances, using it in poorly ventilated areas, and without diluting it. If you are breathing or irritating your skin, or if you place it in boiling water, the bleach will evaporate into the air before it is inhaled.

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In the normal week, DPIC receives nine calls related to adult bleach exposure. The average from March 8th to April 11th was 24 calls per week.

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However, Kosatsky said in the last few weeks, the Poison Centers have been getting more inquiries about children and adults who accidentally ingested hand sanitizers made by distilleries and breweries.

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“They were in bottles that looked like liquors, and many people accidentally drank it.”

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National data for Canada do not include a breakdown by age or method of exposure, a Health Canada spokesman said. However, according to figures provided on CTVNews.ca, in Quebec, 43% of total calls were associated with intake-related children under the age of five and less than two-thirds.

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Center anti poison du Québec has responded to 559 phone calls regarding household detergent exposure. This is a 31% increase between March of this year and March of last year.

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Calls for bleach-related poisoning jumped 266% year-on-year to 149. Hand sanitizer reports also rose 63%.

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Of particular concern are addictions associated with people trying to mix their antiseptic cocktail.

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National figures for March include 121 calls for chlorine gas and 23 calls for chloramines. When bleach is mixed with acids such as vinegar, chlorine gas is evolved. Chloramine is a toxic gas produced when bleach is mixed with ammonia and is also common in household cleaners.

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Both of these gases cause coughing and breathing problems, burning nose and throat, shortness of breath, and pneumonia. Chlorine gas can burn the skin, throat, and lungs, causing blisters, and at high levels can be fatal.

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Bleach, a mixture of water and chemical sodium hypochlorite that is very effective in killing most viruses, bacteria, and fungi, is also highly corrosive and toxic. Dilute it in a well-ventilated place and do not mix it with anything other than cold water.