Australian quick reference
Poisoning and swallowed substances
What to do after someone swallows, inhales or gets a harmful substance on their skin.
The short answer
Move away from the source if safe and call the Australian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 without waiting for symptoms. Call 000 first for collapse, abnormal breathing, seizures or severe symptoms. Do not induce vomiting or give food, drink or charcoal unless instructed.
Route the exposure safely
Call the right help early
Call 000 first for collapse or abnormal breathing. Otherwise call the Australian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 without waiting for symptoms, and follow the route-specific advice.
| What you find | Do next |
|---|---|
| Collapsed or not breathing normally | Call 000, ask for an ambulance and start CPR if safe. If unresponsive but breathing normally, use the recovery position and follow the call-taker. |
| Suspected exposure, breathing normally | Move away from the source if safe and call 13 11 26 now. Do not wait for symptoms; have the product, amount, route, time, age and weight ready. |
| Swallowed, skin, eye or inhaled | Do not induce vomiting or give food, drink or charcoal unless instructed. Follow specialist advice: fresh air for inhalation, cool water for skin and gentle continuous water for an eye. |
| While waiting for advice | Keep the label, container or a clear photo. Do not enter fumes or touch spilled poison, and monitor airway, response and breathing. |
| Suspected button battery, child under 1 | Call 13 11 26 urgently and follow the current specialist instructions. ANZCOR’s current update includes 10 mL of jam every 10 minutes until higher care; do not use honey. |
Four things to remember
See the next decision
These visual cues are a memory aid. In a real emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and follow the call-taker's instructions.
Protect yourself and move the person away from the source only if it is safe. Do not touch spilled poison or breathe fumes.
Exposure may be by swallowing, breathing in, skin contact, eye contact, injection, overdose or a button battery.
Do not induce vomiting.
Call 000 first for collapse, unresponsiveness, abnormal breathing, seizures, severe drowsiness, rapidly worsening symptoms or immediate danger. Call 13 11 26 for any suspected exposure even if the person seems well.
Illustrated field notes
See the situation, then choose the next safe action
These original illustrations support recall. They are not a substitute for the written steps, a current first-aid course or the Triple Zero (000) call-taker.
Call 13 11 26 for advice, or call 000 for severe symptoms or immediate danger.
Tell the adviser how the exposure happened and follow their instructions.
Do not make the person vomit or give food, drink or charcoal unless instructed.
Keep the packaging, label or photo available for responders.
Visual memory cue
See the pattern before you practise
Use this simple visual reminder alongside the written steps. In a real emergency, call Triple Zero (000) and follow the call-taker's instructions.
- 01Make safeLeave fumes and avoid touching the source.
- 02Call early13 11 26, or 000 first for collapse.
- 03Route adviceFresh air, skin or eye water as instructed.
- 04Keep the labelMonitor and share product details.
01
What to do first
- Protect yourself and move the person away from the source only if it is safe. Do not touch spilled poison or breathe fumes.
- Call 000 first if the person has collapsed, is unresponsive or is not breathing normally. Start CPR if safe and follow the call-taker.
- Otherwise call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 immediately. Tell the adviser the product, amount, route, time, age and weight if known.
- Follow route-specific advice: fresh air for inhaled poison, cool running water for skin, and gentle continuous water flushing for an exposed eye. Do not delay help to decontaminate unsafely.
- Keep the container, label or a clear photo available and monitor breathing and response while following the adviser instructions.
02
What to avoid
- Do not induce vomiting.
- Do not give food, drink, activated charcoal or a home remedy unless the Poisons Information Centre or emergency call-taker instructs you.
- Do not wait for symptoms, guess the amount or discard the packaging.
- Do not enter a contaminated area or touch poison without appropriate safety advice.
03
When to call 000
- Call 000 first for collapse, unresponsiveness, abnormal breathing, seizures, severe drowsiness, rapidly worsening symptoms or immediate danger. Call 13 11 26 for any suspected exposure even if the person seems well.
04
What to monitor
- Keep checking the person’s airway, response and breathing. If unresponsive but breathing normally, use the recovery position; if not breathing normally, start CPR and follow 000.
Recognition cues
What you may notice
- Exposure may be by swallowing, breathing in, skin contact, eye contact, injection, overdose or a button battery.
- Symptoms can include vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, breathing difficulty, burns around the mouth or seizures.
- A person can become seriously unwell before obvious symptoms appear, and some medicine overdoses have delayed harm.
- Product containers, spills, fumes, empty packets or residue on skin and clothing can help identify the route and substance.
Avoid these traps
Common mistakes
- Making the person vomit or giving food, drink or charcoal unless instructed.
- Waiting for symptoms before calling the Poisons Information Centre.
- Throwing away the product container or guessing the amount taken.
- Entering fumes or touching a spilled substance while trying to help.
- Missing the current button-battery advice for a child under 1.
Children can be seriously affected by small amounts. Have the child’s age and weight ready when calling. For a suspected swallowed button battery in a child under 1, call 13 11 26 urgently and follow the current specialist instructions, including the current ANZCOR exception about jam; do not substitute honey.
When help is on the way
Keep the handover useful
- Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for any suspected exposure, or call 000 first for collapse, abnormal breathing, seizures or severe symptoms.
- Keep the product packaging, label or a photo nearby and tell the adviser the route, amount, time, age and weight if known.
- Monitor airway, response and breathing and follow route-specific decontamination instructions.
Practise the pattern
Make it easier to remember
Common questions
Quick answers
What is the Australian Poisons Information Centre number?
Call 13 11 26 anywhere in Australia for poisoning advice, 24 hours a day. Call 000 first if the person has collapsed or is not breathing normally.
What if the poison was swallowed?
Do not induce vomiting or give food, drink or charcoal unless instructed. Call 13 11 26, keep the label or a photo and follow the adviser.
What is the button-battery exception for a baby under 1?
Call 13 11 26 urgently and follow the current specialist instructions. ANZCOR’s current poisoning update includes 10 mL of jam every 10 minutes until higher care for a suspected swallowed button battery in a child under 1; do not use honey.
What if the poison is on skin, in an eye or inhaled?
If safe, remove contaminated clothing and flood skin with cool running water, flush an eye with gentle running water and move inhalation exposure to fresh air without entering fumes. Call 13 11 26 for route-specific advice.
Who should I call about poisoning in Australia?
Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 for advice, 24 hours a day. Call 000 first for collapse or abnormal breathing.
Should I make someone vomit?
No. Do not make them vomit or give anything by mouth unless a poisons adviser or emergency call-taker tells you to.
What is the button-battery exception for a baby under 1?
Call 13 11 26 urgently and follow the current specialist instructions. ANZCOR’s current poisoning update includes 10 mL of jam every 10 minutes until higher care for a suspected swallowed button battery in a child under 1; do not use honey.
Expanded route-specific exposure guidance, the 13 11 26 pathway, 000-first collapse and abnormal-breathing escalation, safe decontamination, product handover, child wording and the current under-1 button-battery exception against Australian Healthdirect, ANZCOR and Poisons Information Centre guidance.