“Loss of AAPCC accreditation would be disastrous for Texas’ poison control system. It would be more difficult for the state to attract board-certified medical toxicologists to the centers and would place the centers’ federal funding in jeopardy.”
report also points out that among chil- dren, emergency department visits for medication poisonings — excluding mis- use or abuse — are twice as common as poisonings from other household prod- ucts such as cleaning solutions and per- sonal care products.
When a child has ingested a drug or
a potentially poisonous household prod- uct, Dr. Morris explains, a poison center toxicologist can determine whether a dangerous, life-threatening exposure has occurred. “Part of routine checkups includes teaching parents how to contact poison control. I often see or talk to parents who have had a child ingest something that turned out to be benign. A call to poison control often prevents children from having to go to the emergency room and saves money,” Dr. Morris said. He adds the centers serve a larger public health role. Poison control cen- ters provide an important surveillance service. They’re often the first to iden- tify illegal or new substances commonly being abused, such as bath salts or syn- thetic marijuana. Sharilyn Stanley, MD, poison program
of the 41,592 poisoning deaths in the United States were unintentional, and 3,349 (8 percent) were of undetermined intent. “Prescription painkiller overdoses in the U.S.,” published in Vital Signs in 2011, indicates that in 2009, drugs caused 28,754 (91 percent) of all unin- tentional poisoning deaths. Prescription painkillers such as methadone, hydroco- done, and oxycodone were most com- monly involved, followed by cocaine and heroin, the report says.
Unintentional poisoning affects U.S.
children, as well. Fortunately, Texas resi- dents and physicians have free access to a network of poison control centers that saves lives and money.
By calling (800) 222-1222, anyone
in Texas can reach physicians, nurses, paramedics, and pharmacists specially trained in toxicology. Known as special- ists in poison information (SPIs), they are supervised by a board-certified medi- cal toxicologist and respond to calls from emergency departments, emergency
28 TEXAS MEDICINE September 2012
medical service personnel, physicians, law enforcement officers, the public, and others with free consultation, case man- agement, and follow-up. Scot Morris, MD, a Brownwood pe- diatrician and member of the TMA Com- mittee on Child and Adolescent Health, says he contacts poison control four or five times a year and always receives “prompt expert advice.” In February, he called his local poison center after a young patient ingested an entire bottle of chewable Tylenol. “Poison control was instrumental in managing this case and probably helped my patient avoid a liver transplant,” he said.
A 2009 article in American Journal of
Preventive Medicine notes between 2004 and 2005, an estimated 71,000 children visited emergency departments each year because of medication poisonings — excluding abuse and recreational drug use. More than 80 percent of cases oc- curred because an unsupervised child found and consumed medications. The
coordinator of the Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC), hopes experiences like those of Dr. Mor- ris will increase awareness of and use of the Texas Poison Control Network’s services and resources. CSEC adminis- ters the network, including funding and overseeing the state’s six regional poison control centers. “Texas’ poison control centers provide valuable resources. Physician consulta- tion with the centers’ board-certified toxicologists is underutilized, and we want to change that,” she said.
Centers have value The Texas Poison Control Network has six centers that are affiliated with medi- cal institutions:
• Central Texas Regional Poison Control Center, Scott & White Memorial Hos- pital, Temple;
• North Texas Regional Poison Control Center, Parkland Health & Hospital System and Dallas County Hospital District, Dallas;
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76