Poisoning: emergency number or poison centre
With altered consciousness, breathing difficulty, a seizure or severe symptoms after possible poisoning, call the emergency number at once (112 in the EU, in Austria also 144). If the person is well, call the poison information service – in Austria the Poison Information Centre (01 406 43 43, around the clock), in Germany one of the regional poison centres, for example the Berlin poison centre (030 19240). Keep the packaging and any remains, do not induce vomiting, give no milk and no salt water. This text does not replace a first-aid course.
- Immediately; the call takes a few minutes
Explained simply
Small children put everything in their mouths – pills, cleaning products, plant leaves. But adults sometimes mix up bottles too. Then the most important question is: how is the person?
If they are drowsy, confused, cannot get enough air or are having a seizure, you call the emergency number at once (112 in the EU, in Austria also 144). If they are fine, you call the poison information service. In Austria that is the Poison Information Centre on 01 406 43 43, day and night. In Germany there are several poison centres, for example in Berlin on 030 19240. Experts there tell you what to do.
Please do not make the person vomit and do not give milk or salt water. Keep the packaging so the experts know what it is about. This text does not replace a first-aid course.
How it works
Whether something is poisonous depends on what it is, how much was taken, how it got into the body and who is affected. For a small child an amount can be dangerous that is harmless for an adult – and conversely, many things are harmless in small amounts.
Poison centres have exactly this knowledge. They ask targeted questions and then say whether you can wait, whether a doctor is needed or whether an ambulance must come. Home remedies such as vomiting, milk or salt water can do harm – for example with corrosive substances or products that foam.
What really matters
Have this information ready: what was taken (product name, plant, medication)? Roughly how much? When? How old is the person and roughly how heavy? What symptoms do they have? Keep the packaging, package leaflet or plant parts and hand them over.
With gas – such as carbon monoxide or smoke – protect yourself: do not enter the room, keep your distance, call the emergency number. With chemicals on the skin or in the eye, rinse with plenty of water while wearing gloves.
Safety and limits
This text names no antidotes and no medication; activated charcoal is only given if the poison centre or a doctor says so. Mushrooms and plants are not identified here.
Phone numbers can change. Look up the poison information number for your country or federal state in advance and keep it with the emergency numbers. In Switzerland you reach Tox Info Suisse on 145; when travelling, look up the number for your destination.
Prevention
Medication, cleaning products, lamp oil and chemicals belong in their original packaging and out of children's reach – never decant them into drinks bottles. Carbon monoxide alarms protect against an invisible poison.
If there are small children in the house, it is worth checking the plants in the home and garden. On a first-aid course you learn how to position unconscious people correctly in case it ever becomes serious.
Step by step
- 1
Protect yourself
If gas is suspected, do not enter the room; wear gloves with chemicals. Move any poisonous remains out of children's reach.
- 2
Check the condition
Is the person alert and responsive, are they breathing normally? With altered consciousness, breathing difficulty, a seizure or severe symptoms call the emergency number at once.
- 3
Call the poison centre
If the person is well, call the poison centre (Austria 01 406 43 43, Germany for example the Berlin poison centre 030 19240, Switzerland 145) and follow their instructions.
- 4
Have the details ready
What was taken (product name, plant, medication)? Roughly how much? When? Age and approximate weight of the person? Which symptoms?
- 5
Bring packaging and remains
Keep the packaging, package leaflet, plant parts or remains and hand them to the ambulance crew or take them to hospital.
- 6
Look after them
Do not induce vomiting, give nothing to drink unless the poison centre advises it. Stay with the person. If they become unconscious and breathe normally: recovery position. If they are not breathing normally: resuscitation as the dispatcher instructs.
Common mistakes
- Inducing vomiting
- Giving milk or salt water
- Waiting although the person becomes drowsy or confused
- Throwing the packaging away
- Entering a room where gas is suspected
Quick view
Materials
Mobile phone
For the emergency number or poison centre
The battery drains quickly in cold and with continuous screen and GPS use.
Do not plan on it as your only means of navigation or emergency calls.
Disposable gloves
With chemicals on skin or clothing
Consider latex allergies – prefer latex-free gloves (e.g. nitrile).
Suitable for
- Swallowed household products, medication, plant parts or mushrooms
- Children who have put something unknown in their mouth
Not suitable for
- Waiting with altered consciousness or breathing difficulty – that is an emergency
- Home remedies or medication "against the poison" without advice from the poison centre
Prerequisites
- Knowing your country's poison information number or having it to hand
- Own safety with gases and chemicals
Safety
- This text does not replace a first-aid course. First aid is learned through hands-on practice under instruction. In an emergency always call professional help – via the local emergency number (112 in the EU) – and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
- Do not induce vomiting, give no milk, no salt water and no home remedies. Vomiting can cause extra harm with corrosive substances, foaming agents or solvents.
- Poison information: Austria – Poison Information Centre 01 406 43 43 (24 hours). Germany – regional poison centres, for example the Berlin poison centre 030 19240; look up the number for your federal state in advance. Switzerland – Tox Info Suisse 145. In other countries look up the number before travelling.
How it works
Whether a substance is dangerous depends on what it is, how much was taken, by what route and who is affected – a small child reacts differently from an adult. Lay people can hardly judge this. Poison centres specialise in exactly this and say whether it is safe to wait, whether a doctor is needed or whether an ambulance must come. Precise information is therefore important. Well-meant home remedies such as vomiting, milk or salt water do not help and can do harm.
Advantages
- Expert assessment by phone, often without a trip to hospital
- Avoids harmful home remedies
Disadvantages
- In Germany there is no single nationwide number
- Precise information is often missing, for example with mushrooms or plants
Deep knowledge
Background
The ERC first-aid guidelines advise lay people not to give antidotes or induce vomiting in poisoning but to contact a poison centre or the ambulance service. In Austria, the Poison Information Centre can be reached around the clock on 01 406 43 43. Germany has several regional poison centres, for example the Berlin poison centre on 030 19240. In Switzerland, Tox Info Suisse can be reached on 145.
With small children, many suspected poisonings turn out not to be: many substances are harmless in small amounts. The poison centre can clarify exactly this quickly and spare unnecessary worry and trips to hospital.
Variants
- Poison on the skin or in the eye
- Wearing gloves, remove contaminated clothing and rinse the skin with plenty of water. Rinse splashes in the eye thoroughly with water while protecting the other eye. Then call the poison centre or the emergency number.
- Prevention, especially with children
- Keep medication, cleaning products, lamp oil and chemicals in their original packaging and out of children's reach; never decant them into drinks bottles. Put the poison centre number with the emergency numbers.
Common mistakes
- Inducing vomiting
- Giving milk or salt water
- Waiting although the person becomes drowsy or confused
- Throwing the packaging away
- Entering a room where gas is suspected
Limits and risks
- Does not replace a first-aid course
- No antidotes, no medication, no activated charcoal without professional advice
- Phone numbers can change – check them before an emergency
- No identification of mushrooms or plants
Material alternatives
Derived from material properties: a substitute must have all relevant properties. Observe the notes on the substitute.
- Mobile phone
- Headlamp / flashlight, Battery lantern / LED light
Results come exclusively from structured entries. No improvised instructions are generated.
Sources
European Resuscitation Council – Resuscitation (journal) (2021): European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: First Aid
In poisoning do not induce vomiting, no antidotes; contact poison centre or ambulance
Gesundheit Österreich GmbH: Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ) – Notruf 01 406 43 43
Austrian Poison Information Centre, 24-hour line
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin: Giftnotruf Berlin – 030 19240
Berlin poison centre as an example of the regional poison centres in Germany
Tox Info Suisse: Tox Info Suisse – Notrufnummer 145
Emergency number 145 in Switzerland