Thursday, October 29, 2009
Ensure safe use of hand sanitizers
Although loading up on hand sanitizer to keep the flu at bay may seem like a safe thing to do, the American Association of Poison Control Centers warns that improper use can be dangerous.
Hand sanitizers can be an effective tool in combating germs, but the ethanol-based sanitizers also can be toxic if ingested, Alexandria, VA-based AAPCC cautions. As the use of hand sanitizers has increased in recent years, so too has the number of calls to poison control centers concerning the substance. In 2006, 11,914 calls were made about ethanol-based sanitizers, 9,607 of the cases involving children younger than 6.
However, AAPCC notes that none of the cases resulted in death and stresses hand sanitizers are effective when used properly. The agency recommends children use hand sanitizers under parental supervision and that parents talk to their children about how to use them safely.