Two-year-old taken to CHEO after being found with syringe in her ...

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Ottawa paramedics transported a two-year-old girl to CHEO on Saturday after she was found with an uncapped syringe in her mouth while playing at a park in the Civic Hospital neighbourhood.

Ottawa Paramedic Service operation commander Paul Morneau said the little girl appeared to have no signs of impairment or need of the opioid antidote naloxone, but was transported to hospital for assessment.

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Among concerns when anyone comes in contact with a syringe are the ingestion of potentially toxic drugs as well as potential infection with a needle stick injury. In some cases, people would be treated with antivirals to protect them from any exposure, after a risk assessment.

Morneau said the girl’s mother reported finding other drug paraphernalia, including a tourniquet, near the play structure where the girl was playing at Princess Margriet Park on Fairmount Avenue.

The incident, around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, came just hours after Ottawa Public Health and emergency officials issued a rare alert about a toxic drug supply in the city that includes a horse tranquilizer and other drugs that don’t respond to naloxone.

Morneau said it is not common to see children who have come in contact with drug equipment, as was the case Saturday. But Morneau said paramedics are seeing increasing signs of the toxic drug supply in the city.

Anyone who spots drug equipment can call the City of Ottawa at 311 to have it removed, Morneau said.

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