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Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · Medical Emergencies

Poisoning

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

/ˈpɔɪzənɪŋ/nounCommon term

In emergency medicine & first aid, poisoning means: Harm caused when a toxic substance, such as a chemical, medicine, gas, plant or contaminated food, is swallowed, breathed in, injected or absorbed through the skin.

In Turkish: zehirlenme

How it is used

Common types include carbon monoxide poisoning, food poisoning and alcohol poisoning. A deliberate overdose of medicines is often recorded as an 'overdose' or 'self-poisoning'. Clinicians ask what was taken, how much, when and how, and may contact a poison information service.

Example sentences

  1. The whole family has headaches, so we suspect carbon monoxide poisoning.

  2. The toddler's poisoning was caused by dishwasher tablets.

Common collocations

  • carbon monoxide poisoning
  • food poisoning
  • accidental poisoning
  • suspected poisoning
  • unconsciousNot awake and not aware of what is happening, so that the person cannot respond normally to voices or touch.
  • seizureA sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause shaking, stiffness, staring or a short loss of consciousness.
  • hypoglycemiaA blood sugar level that is too low, most often in people with diabetes, causing shaking, sweating, confusion and sometimes seizures or unconsciousness.
  • emergency callA phone call to an emergency number, such as 112, 911 or 999, to ask for an ambulance, the police or the fire service.

More terms: Medical Emergencies

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.