Diagnosis & Treatment — First aid / lay people
General problems
Most poisoning caused by poisonous animals is epidemic in nature. If this type of poisoning is suspected in a patient, it is necessary to locate other persons who might also be affected and to trace the source of the poisoning in order to prevent further consumption of the contaminated food.
How can the absorption of poison be prevented?
- Induce vomiting,
- activated charcoal,
- laxatives.
There are no controlled studies of first aid methods in poisoning caused by poisonous animals. Whether such methods are of value depends, amongst other factors, on the time that has elapsed since ingestion. In addition, the great majority of such cases of poisoning are accompanied by vomiting and diarrhoea anyway. If vomiting is induced or the patient vomits spontaneously, there is a risk of aspiration, especially with neurotoxic forms of poisoning.