Poison prevention in the elderly

Poison exposures in the elderly are largely unintentional and, therefore, amenable to prevention techniques. Based on an analysis of the major causes of unintentional exposures in persons age 60 years and older, injury control strategies are applied to poisoning. These strategies address pre-event, event, and post-event phases. Ideas for specific changes to protect the elderly, especially in the areas of labeling and packaging, are presented.