By Meredith Gardner
meredith.gardner@theindependent.com

While poison control hotline stickers used to be commonplace on land-line phones, new designs and the increasing number of households that only use cell phones has led many adults to turn to 911 or the emergency room when dealing with poison-related emergencies.

During National Poison Prevention Week, which beings Sunday, Brunzell said she hopes families take the time to safeguard their families and learn the proper way to handle poison emergencies.

"It's a risk area that's very preventable, but quite common, so we just want to make sure we keep those kids safe," Brunzell said.

Brunzell encourages people to program the number for their local poison control center into their cell phones, ideally into the No. 2 spot on their contact list. They should also obtain a poison control hotline sticker from Safe Kids, Wellness Works in the Conestoga Mall or the poison control center itself and post it on the right-hand corner of their fridge.

"During the crisis, seconds are priceless for children," Brunzell said. "That's not the time to look for a number."

In addition to having the poison control number on-hand, there are a number of things families can do to prevent and handle poison exposure incidents. An estimated 90 percent of poison exposures in children happen at home.

Adults should make sure their medications are safely stored out of the reach of children, who can mistake them for candy. Expired or unneeded medications should be disposed of properly.

Household cleaners and yard chemicals should also be kept out of the reach of children, Brunzell said. And parents should use caution when storing alcohol in the refrigerator, as children can easily confuse it for soda or another drink.

If someone has ingested a poisonous substance and is still conscious, the poison control hotline should be called immediately. People shouldn't waste time by first contacting 911 or a doctor's office or even taking their child to the emergency room. In all three cases, poison control would be contacted anyway, Brunzell said.

An estimated 75 percent of poisoning exposure calls can be safely treated within the home, which can help families save the money they would otherwise spend on medical care, according to the Nebraska Regional Poison Center.

If a person is unconscious and has been exposed to a poisonous substance, 911 should be contacted immediately, Brunzell said.

The Nebraska Regional Poison Center's hotline is 1-800-222-1222. It is a free service sponsored by the Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.