App for first aid emergency in case of poisoning

Federal Institute for Risk Assessment develops app for first aid with poisoning

08/22/2013

Poisoning is the second most common type of accident after falling. No wonder, because poisonous plants or household cleaners are usually not far and can be quickly swallowed by the little ones. In order to be able to provide first aid quickly in such a case, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has now developed an app. Among other things, it provides information on symptoms of poisoning and emergency aid, as well as tips on how to avoid poisoning accidents right from the start.

Poisoning is the second most common type of accident among children
After falls poisoning is the second most common type of accident in children. Every year, more than 100,000 telephone poisoning calls are received by the nine Poison Information Centers (GIZ) in Germany, more than half of which are affected by the age of 3 years. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the most common cause is the swallowing of budget funds, in particular household cleaners such as descaler or sanitary cleaners, personal care products and medicines. In addition, however, it is also time and again by the consumption of plants and berries (for example, cherry laurel) and by cigarettes and alcohol to poisoning in children. These can be very dangerous, so immediate first aid is absolutely necessary.

New app provides information on symptoms of poisoning and first aid
„But what to do if a child accidentally drank a caustic cleaner?“, will ask many parents, but also educators. To provide support here, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has developed an app that Federal Consumer Protection Minister Ilse Aigner (CSU) presented today in Berlin on Thursday. This will help with information on symptoms of poisoning and immediate measures in the future, „to keep a cool head in such a difficult situation and to make the right decision.“ In addition, according to the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), the app provides background information on chemicals, medicines, plants and fungi that can lead to intoxication in children and tips for avoiding accidents.

„Many accidents could be avoided“
According to Ilse Aigner, the new app is intended to help reduce the number of childhood poisoning cases in the future. Because „Many accidents would be avoidable if parents, grandparents, day-care workers, educators and teachers knew the risks and always kept dangerous products safely“, said the consumer protection minister. Here the application should close a gap in the future, because „The app is an important information and reference book - even without a direct Internet connection. In an emergency, the app can be called immediately from the relevant poison information center“, explains Professor Dr. Andreas Hensel, President of the BfR.

However, App can not replace medical advice in an emergency
The BfR app was developed „Poisoning accidents in children“ for smartphones with the operating system Android and iOS and can now be downloaded for free in the respective app stores. Despite all the help through the app, but this could in an emergency „Do not replace the 112 emergency call“, so the express reference of the BfR and the Federal Consumer Ministry. Nevertheless, could „by the possibility, with the help of the app at any time directly to select the nearest poison emergency call, [...] immediate medical advice to be obtained“, so the information of the BfR on. The app makes it possible to call one of the nine competent German poison information centers (GIZ). If the location function of the smartphone is activated, even a connection to the competent GIZ of a federal state is established automatically. (No)

Picture credits: S. Hofschaeger