Holiday hazards | |
Angel hair | Finely spun glass. Dermal or ocular irritation or corneal abrasion is possible. |
Bubble lights | May contain a tiny amount of methylene chloride. |
Christmas tree ornaments | Can cause foreign body effect or choking hazard. Antique or foreign-made ornaments may be decorated with lead-based paint. |
Christmas tree preservatives | Homemade solutions may contain aspirin, bleach, or sugar. Commercial products usually contain only concentrated sugar solution. |
Easter egg dyes | Most of these contain nontoxic dyes and sodium bicarbonate. Older formulations may contain sodium chloride, which can cause hypernatremia if a large amount is ingested (See Hypernatremia and hyponatremia). |
Fireplace crystals | May contain salts of copper, selenium, arsenic, and antimony. Small amounts can cause irritation to the mouth or stomach. (Larger ingestions could conceivably result in heavy metal poisoning; see specific heavy metal.) |
Halloween candy | Tampering rarely occurs. Radiograph of candy provides a false sense of security; although it may reveal radiopaque glass or metallic objects, most poisons are radiolucent. Prudent approach is to discard candy or food items if they are not commercially packaged or if the package is damaged. |
Snow scenes | The “snow” is composed of insoluble particles of calcium carbonate that are not toxic. The fluid may have bacterial growth. |
Snow sprays | Sprays may contain hydrocarbon solvent or a methylene chloride (See Hydrocarbons and Methylene Chloride) vehicle. Inhalation may cause headache and nausea. Once dried, the snow is not toxic. |
Miscellaneous | |
Capsaicin sprays | These products contain capsaicin, the main ingredient in chili peppers. Exposure causes intense mucous membrane irritation and a burning sensation. Treat with topical liquid antacids. |
Cyanoacrylate glues | Ingestion is harmless. Cyanide is not released. Corneal abrasions may occur after ocular exposure. Adhesion of skin and eyelids is possible after dermal exposure. Treat adhesions with petrolatum-based ointment. |
Fire extinguishers | The two common types contain sodium bicarbonate (white powder) or monoammonium phosphate (yellow powder). Small ingestions result in little to no effect. Mucous membrane irritation is common. Major risk is pneumonitis after extensive inhalation. |
Fluorescent light bulbs | Contain inert gases and nontoxic powder that may be irritating to mucous membranes. |
Oral contraceptives | Birth control pills contain varying amounts of estrogens and progesterones. In excessive amounts, these may cause stomach upset and in females transient vaginal spotting. Some formulations may contain iron. |
Thermometers (mercury) | Household fever thermometers contain less than 0.5 mL of liquid mercury, which is harmless if swallowed. Clean up cautiously to avoid dispersing mercury as mist or vapor (ie, do not vacuum). |
Household pesticides | Numerous formulations. Some contain hydrocarbon solvents; others are water-based. Pesticides used may include pyrethrins, organophosphates, or carbamates, but generally of low potency and in concentrations of less than 1.5%. The risk for pesticide poisoning is very low unless there is intentional massive exposure. Symptoms after exposure are due mainly to inhalation of the hydrocarbon solvent. |
Topical monthly flea control products | Formulations include fipronil and imidacloprid. Low oral toxicity after ingestion of less than 2–3 mL. Dermal and ocular irritation may occur. |
Respiratory irritants | |
Baby powders (talc-containing), spray starch | These products have little or no toxicity when ingested. However, if aspirated into the lungs, they can cause an inflammatory pneumonitis. |