WKU News

The Florida Poison Information Center in Tampa has issued a medical alert regarding laundry "pods". Download the Florida Poison Information Center Medical Alert flyer for laundry pods HERE. The alert states:

A new type of laundry detergent product is packaged in "single dose packs" which dissolve in the washing cycle. The packets are colorful, squishy and are attractive to children. Poison centers around the country have logged many calls about people exposed to this type of detergent product.

Most laundry detergents cause only mild stomach upset or no symptoms at all if ingested, but many poison centers are seeing unusual symptoms after exposure to these unit dose packs.

• prolonged vomiting
• coughing
• drowsiness
• wheezing, choking and breathing problems resulting in hospitalization
• serious eye damage after product splashed in the eyes.

You can also read a recent alarming article at The Sun Sentinal website HERE about a 7-month-old boy who died after reportedly ingesting a concentrated detergent pod. A difference has been noticed between the concentrated pods vs. standard liquid or powdered detergent, as excerpted from the article...

Tampa Poison Control Center nurse JoAnn Chambers-Emerson said the dangers of detergent packets first became apparent in Europe where the product was first sold. Normally, liquid or powder detergent causes mouth or throat irritation when ingested by children, she said.

But then the calls got more alarming.

"It was a big surprise because we thought we knew everything about laundry detergent and how it acts in the body," she said. "The kids not only have vomiting, but it seems to be prolonged vomiting, coughing, difficulty breathing and drowsiness; so much so, that doctors were afraid children would aspirate into their lungs."

---------------------------------

Are you a Head Start/EHS staff that works in health-related areas? If so, you may want to consider our upcoming Managing Comprehensive Health Services in HS/EHS, Sept 10-12, 2013 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Get full details HERE.