Call the Poison Control Hotline | 1-800-222-1222
Call us if you or someone else touches, tastes, breathes, or swallows something that could be harmful.
What to do during a poison exposure
- Remain calm
- For people with life-threatening symptoms like unconsciousness, uncontrollable shaking, or any difficulty breathing, call 911
- For non life-threatening symptoms, call the Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222
Calling the Poison Hotline
It is always best to have every poison exposure, whether mild or severe, evaluated by our Poison Hotline experts. They can provide reassurance and peace of mind 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year.
The toll-free Poison Hotline is:
- Fast: Our staff will answer your phone call immediately
- Free: There is no charge—you can call as many times as you need
- Expert: You will receive help from an actual person—staff who answer the phone are specially trained pharmacists, nurses, and poison information providers, backed up by medically trained toxicologist
- Private: Your personal information will remain confidential, and will not be shared with anyone—we ask you for your name and phone number so we can call back to make sure you are OK
What will the Poison Hotline staff ask?
Careful evaluation of all the information related to a poison exposure will allow the Poison Hotline staff to determine if a call presents a serious risk. Callers might be asked for the following information:
- What substance or poison was involved
- The amount
- Type of the exposure (on the skin versus in the mouth)
- Length of time of the exposure
- Age, weight, and health status of the patient
Once the information is gathered, the Poison Hotline experts will calculate the amount of the exposure compared to body weight of the patient. They might look up the substance in the computer for more information. This information will determine the toxicity of the case. Using that information, the poison expert will make treatment recommendations.
Did you know?
You do not have to be experiencing an emergency to call the Poison Hotline. You can call our experts with any poison-related questions.
For peace of mind and to help prevent poison exposure, call the Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Don't guess, be sure!