Calls to IWK's poison centre involving hand sanitizer more than double in 2020

The IWK's poison centre is warning Nova Scotians to take extra care with an item that's become ubiquitousduring the pandemic after calls involving hand sanitizer more thandoubledlast year.

In 2020, the centre in Halifax received 159 calls about people swallowing the substance or getting it in their eyes or on their skin. That's up from 58 calls in 2019 and 38 calls in 2018.

The majority of poisonings involving hand sanitizer are accidental, saidLaurie Mosher, the centre's clinical leader.

She urges people to call the poison centre right away.

"Don't go on Dr. Google. Don't waste that time," she toldCBC's Mainstreet.

"We can provide you with information before something bad does happen so that time is very critical for us to give you very precious information that could prevent damage."

The majority of the hand sanitizercalls last year 57per cent involved children, while 43 per cent involvedadults.

"Even adults sometimes have unintentionally taken a drink from a bottle that looks like a water bottle, believe it or not, thinking it was water so accidents do happen," Moshersaid.

Strawberry pound cake flavour

Sometimes thelabel can make the product looklike something appetizing.

"We did have a call and the flavour was strawberry pound cake," Mosher said. "I don't know where they purchased it from, but I don't recommend [it]."

Of the 159 calls in 2020, 79per cent involved someone swallowing hand sanitizer, 11 per cent were for eye exposures and 10 per cent for skin exposures.

Hand sanitizers can contain up to 80 per cent alcohol and even small amounts cancause vomiting, drowsiness andlow blood sugar, especially in children and the elderly, Mosher said.

Counterfeitproducts have also been popping up with dangerousingredients such as methanol that aren't approved by Health Canada.

Mosher said many parents may not realize hand sanitizercan impact theirchild's blood sugar levels.

"So you want to call the poison centre right away if a young child gets into it, because we can determine if it's going to be a really concerning amount," she said, adding that it's also agood idea to give the child juice to stabilize their blood sugar.

Flush eyes for 10-15 minutes

Ifhand sanitizer gets into the eyes, Mosher said to flush with waterfor 10-15 minutes while blinking. The water should be at room temperature.

"If it's a child and they cry, that's actually great. Tears in the eyes are great," she said.

Mosher said it's important to wash with water for several minutes because "it stings quite a bit and the gel sticks to your eyes so the longer you flush the better."

She recommends supervising small children while they're applying hand sanitizer, and to store bottles in a place where they can't reach them.

"If you have to send your child to school with hand sanitizer, I would recommend using like a pump or a flip cap and send them with small packaging sizes. Don't send them with a great big bottle to school," she said.

Mosher also advises people to keep these productsin theiroriginal bottles so they're not mistaken for something else.

The IWK Regional Poison Centre can be reached at1-800-565-8161.