Tox Blog

The bitter aftertaste of «poisonous pumpkins» and «killer courgettes»

Have you ever questioned whether the bitter squash on your plate was safe to eat?

«I’ve been bitten by a snake», Part I

Snakebites are rare in Switzerland. What should you do after a snakebite? How dangerous are bites from indigenous snakes?

“I’ve been bitten by a snake” Part II

How do I tell if it was a venomous snake? Is it important to know which type of snake bit me? Where can I find information on indigenous snakes?   

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Achtung an alle Fachpersonen: Auf 1. Februar 2024 wechselt Tox Info Suisse das Therapieschema mit N-Acetylcystein (NAC) für Paracetamolvergiftungen auf ein 2-bag Schema. 

Do you know the toxic doppelgängers of wild garlic?

Temporary, usually mild, gastrointestinal problems may also occur after eating wild garlic. Confusing it with the highly poisonous autumn crocus can be fatal. Anyone collecting wild garlic should be sure of its identity!

Questions about popular Christmas plants

Many plants that are traditional at Christmas are toxic. In the worst-case scenario, accidental ingestion of small parts of plants will cause gastrointestinal symptoms.

Our Website has a new look!

A short introduction to our adapted website.

Take that out of your mouth!

What's there really to worry about?

Incidents with children and unknown mushrooms

Your child has eaten an unknown mushroom? What intervention do you need to take?

BBQ with charcoal: Never indoors!

Barbequing inside the house or in the garage, can cause life-threatening carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning due to lack of oxygen 

My child has just eaten a cigarette!

Verätzungsgefahr: Grill- und Backofenreiniger

Red berries, black berries, when is it ok to nibble and when is it dangerous?

When is snacking allowed, when is it dangerous? What do you when your child eats berries from the unknown shrub of your neighbors.

Edible mushrooms: unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms

When you think about mushroom poisoning, the first to come to mind are the death cap and fly agaric mushrooms. A study by Tox Info Suisse determined that symptoms in adults arise most frequently after consuming edible mushrooms.

Anzündhilfen, ein Spiel mit dem Feuer?

Gefahr der akuten Kohlenmonoxid-Vergiftung beim Shisha-Rauchen

Hand sanitiser: Can that backfire?

Check out this article in German, French or Italian.

First-aid kit: less is safer!

Check out this article in German, French or Italian.

Gilled or boletus mushrooms?

If you suspect that you have been poisoned by mushrooms after eating an unchecked selection of wild mushrooms that you have foraged yourself or after an accidental ingestion, it is important to know whether the mushrooms in question are gilled or boletus mushrooms in order to assess the risk.

That the active ingredient paracetamol does not affect the liver

Paracetamol has been approved for several decades for the treatment of flu-like symptoms such as headaches, sore throats, joint pain and fever. To ensure that the active ingredient paracetamol does not do more harm than good...

Vergiftungssyndrome durch Pilze