Poison Control Center Surge Capacity during an Unusual Increase in Call Volume–Results from a Natural Experiment

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zdravko P. Vassilev ◽  
John Kashani ◽  
Bruce Ruck ◽  
Robert S. Hoffman ◽  
Steven M. Marcus
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Education System ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Poison Center ◽  
Surge Capacity ◽  
Poison Control Centers ◽  
Unusual Increase ◽  
Call Volume

AbstractIntroduction:Poison Control Centers (PCCs) play an integral role in the preparation for and management of poison emergencies. Large-scale public health disasters, caused by both natural and human factors, may result in a drastic increase in the number of inquiries received and handled by Poison Control Centers (PCCs) in short periods of time. In order to plan and prepare for such public health emergencies, it is important for PCCs to assess their ability tohandle the surge in call volume and to examine how the unusually large number of calls could affect the level of services. On 26 January 2006, the New York City Poison Center experienced a sudden loss of telephone service.The disruption in telephone service led to the need to reroute calls from that geographical catchment area to the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES) for several hours.Methods:Data from the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System was abstracted from the telephone switch's internal reporting system and the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System's electronic record system and processed with a standard spreadsheet application.Results:Compared to the same time and day in the previous week, the total number of calls received by the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System during the four hours after the disruption increased by 148%. A substantial rise in the number of calls was observed in almost every 15-minute increment during this four-hour (h) time period (with some of these increments increasing as much as 525%). Meanwhile, the percentage of calls answered by the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System decreased, and the percentage of calls abandoned during a 15-minute increment reached as high as 62%. Furthermore, the average time for handling calls was longer than usual in most of these 15-minute increments.Conclusions:Limitations of the telephone technology, which impacted the ability of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System to respond to the surge of calls, were observed. While the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System was able to handle the unusual increase of incoming calls using available poison specialists and staff, the experience gained from this natural experiment demonstrates the need for Poison Control Centres to have a pre-planned surge capacity protocol that can be implemented rapidly during a public health emergency. A number of challenges that Poison Control Centres must meet in order to have adequate surge capacity during such events were identified.

Impact of Hurricane Ike on Texas Poison Center Calls

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias B. Forrester
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Carbon Monoxide ◽  
September 11 ◽  
Poison Center ◽  
Hurricane Ike ◽  
Disaster Area ◽  
Time Period ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Call Volume

ABSTRACTOn September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas, resulting in the mandatory evacuation of 8 counties before landfall and the declaration of disaster areas in 29 counties afterward. This study evaluated whether Hurricane Ike affected the pattern of Texas poison center calls. Texas poison center calls received from the disaster area counties were identified for 3 time periods: August 12 to September 10, 2008 (preevacuation), September 11 to 13, 2008 (evacuation and hurricane landfall), and September 14 to 30, 2008 (postevacuation). For selected types of calls, the mean daily call volume during time periods 2 and 3 was compared with a baseline range (BR) derived from the mean daily call volume during time period 1. During the evacuation and landfall period, gasoline exposure calls were higher than expected (mean 3, BR −1 to 2). During the postevacuation period, higher than expected numbers of calls were observed for gasoline exposures (mean 5, BR −1 to 2) and carbon monoxide exposures (mean 3, BR –1–1). During an evacuation, certain calls such as those involving gasoline exposures may increase. After a hurricane, calls such as those involving carbon monoxide and gasoline exposures may increase. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3:151–157)

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1959 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-690
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Annual Meeting ◽  
American Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Morning Session ◽  
Accidental Poisoning ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Poison Control Centers

The second annual meeting of The American Association of Poison Control Centers will be held on October 6, 1959 at The Palmer House, Chicago, Illinois. An all-day meeting is scheduled: The morning session will be devoted to business activities; during the afternoon, papers on research, clinical and public health aspects of poisoning will be presented and discussed. The Association was organized in October 1958 to promote the exchange of information among its members on various aspects of acute accidental poisoning. It also expects (1) to promote amid encourage investigation into methods for treating such cases of poisoning and (2) to develop educational programs for their prevention. Its members are, for the most part, connected is some capacity with poison control and information centers in the United States and Canada.

The Role of Clinical Toxicologists and Poison Control Centers in Public Health

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 658-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Sutter ◽  
Alvin C. Bronstein ◽  
Stuart E. Heard ◽  
Claudia L. Barthold ◽  
James Lando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Poison Control Centers

Human ocular efects from self-reported exposures to Roundup® herbicides

1999 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 479-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
J F Acquavella ◽  
J A Weber ◽  
M R Cullen ◽  
O A Cruz ◽  
M A Martens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
American Association ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Poison Center ◽  
Poison Control Centers ◽  
Permanent Change

We evaluated ocular effects from reported human exposures to Roundup® herbicides based on 1513 calls to an American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) certified regional poison center during the years 1993 through 1997. The preponderance of reported exposures were judged by poison center specialists to result in either no injury (21%) or transient minor symptoms (70%). There was some temporary injury in 2% of cases; one injury took more than 2 weeks to resolve. In no instance did exposure result in permanent change to the structure or function of the eye. Since the representativeness of calls to poison control centers is unknown, several interpretations of these findings are possible. The most conservative interpretation is that there were no serious ocular effects from exposure to Roundups herbicides during a 5 year period among callers to a single regional poison center. A less conservative interpretation would be that severe ocular effects from Roundupg exposures are rare among users of these products.

scholarly journals High call volume at poison control centers: identification and implications for communication

2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 781-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Caravati ◽  
S. Latimer ◽  
M. Reblin ◽  
H. K. W. Bennett ◽  
M. R. Cummins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Poison Control ◽  
Poison Control Centers ◽  
Call Volume

Toxicity of Polysaccharide–Iron Complex Exposures Reported to Poison Control Centers

2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Klein-Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Facility ◽  
Iron Complex ◽  
Facility Management ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Minor Effect ◽  
Poison Center ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Poison Control Centers ◽  
Toxic Exposures

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the toxicity of polysaccharide–iron complex (PIC) exposures reported to poison centers in the US. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of potentially toxic exposures to PIC without concomitant substances reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) Toxic Exposure Surveillance System from 1990 to 1998 was performed. RESULTS: Of 810 potentially toxic exposures to PIC, 55.9% occurred in females, 43.8% in males; in 0.3%, gender was unknown. The majority of exposures (74.4%) involved children under six years of age. The reasons for exposure were: 86.7% unintentional, 11.6% intentional, and 1.6% adverse reaction. The most frequently reported clinical effects attributed to PIC were vomiting (n = 23), diarrhea (10), nausea (11), abdominal pain (10), and lethargy/drowsiness (7). While the majority of exposures were managed outside a healthcare facility, management site varied depending on age (management in non-healthcare facility in 71.8% of exposures in children under six years of age vs. 44.9% in adolescents and adults). The majority of outcomes (95.6%) were no effect, minor effect, unrelated effect, not followed since nontoxic, or not followed since only minimal toxicity possible. Of two cases coded as moderate effect, it could not be determined whether the symptoms were related to PIC in one, and in the second case inspection of the poison center record revealed that the actual outcome was minor effect. There were no major effects or deaths. CONCLUSIONS: There were no serious adverse events following PIC exposure reported to the AAPCC. Although more data are needed, these findings suggest reduced toxicity for PIC relative to other forms of iron.

scholarly journals Strengthening Health Surveillance through the Development of Interagency Relationships

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily V. Glidden ◽  
Royal Law
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Poison Center ◽  
Poison Centers ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Agency Collaborations

Objective- To discuss the development of a set of tools for interagency collaborations on health surveillance- To determine the core contents of the tools based on known gaps in health surveillance- To determine collaborators in development and timelines for completionIntroductionIn 2010, the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) identified data collected by poison centers (PCs) as an important tool for all-hazards exposure and illness surveillance. In response to this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), CSTE, and the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) members created the Poison Center Public Health Community of Practice (CoP). The CoP acts as a platform, to facilitate sharing experiences, identify best practices, and develop relationships among federal agencies, state and local health departments (HD), and PCs. Since its inception, the CoP garnered over 250 members, hosted more than 25 webinars regarding PC-HD collaborations, and produced five newsletters highlighting subjects pertinent to PC and HD personnel.DescriptionFindings and lessons learned from activities outlined in the introduction include the need for: 1) standardized inter-agency communication, 2) increased knowledge and utilization of state reporting and monitoring systems, and 3) inter-agency collaborations to prevent the duplication of efforts. In this roundtable, we will: 1) discuss how to develop information and tools for inter-agency public health communication and messaging, 2) identify key stakeholders including potential national, state, and local agencies who can help bolster communication messaging, and 3) develop appropriate points of contact within these agencies. Potential components of the guidance may include: 1) a comprehensive list of state resources available to PC and PH personnel, 2) recommended inter-agency points of contact, 3) lessons learned from collaborative projects, and 4) PC abilities to share and analyze data for public health practice and health surveillance.How the Moderator Intends to Engage the Audience in Discussions on the TopicThis roundtable session will consider the following questions:- Which agencies--local, state, national, or otherwise-- would benefit from inter-agency collaborations health surveillance efforts?- What should the proposed tools include? Who should be involved in developing the proposed materials?Following this roundtable, the CoP hopes to have tangible next steps in creating inter-agency collaborations health surveillance guidance and establish a timeline for completion. 

scholarly journals Identifying Incidents of Public Health Significance Using the National Poison Data System, 2013–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (10) ◽  
pp. 1528-1531
Author(s):  
Joseph E. Carpenter ◽  
Arthur S. Chang ◽  
Alvin C. Bronstein ◽  
Richard G. Thomas ◽  
Royal K. Law
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data System ◽  
Poison Control ◽  
Poison Center ◽  
Public Health Department ◽  
National Poison ◽  
Public Health Significance ◽  
Poison Centers ◽  
Health Significance ◽  
National Poison Data System

Data System. The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) jointly monitor the National Poison Data System (NPDS) for incidents of public health significance (IPHSs). Data Collection/Processing. NPDS is the data repository for US poison centers, which together cover all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple territories. Information from calls to poison centers is uploaded to NPDS in near real time and continuously monitored for specific exposures and anomalies relative to historic data. Data Analysis/Dissemination. AAPCC and CDC toxicologists analyze NPDS-generated anomalies for evidence of public health significance. Presumptive results are confirmed with the receiving poison center to correctly identify IPHSs. Once verified, CDC notifies the state public health department. Implications. During 2013 to 2018, 3.7% of all NPDS-generated anomalies represented IPHSs. NPDS surveillance findings may be the first alert to state epidemiologists of IPHSs. Data are used locally and nationally to enhance situational awareness during a suspected or known public health threat. NPDS improves CDC’s national surveillance capacity by identifying early markers of IPHSs.

scholarly journals Poisonings After a Hurricane: Lessons From the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES) During and Following Hurricane Sandy

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Susan B. German ◽  
Pauline A. Thomas ◽  
Bruce Ruck ◽  
Elizabeth G. Marshall ◽  
Amy L. Davidow
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Education System ◽  
Food Poisoning ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Toxic Exposures ◽  
Cooking Equipment ◽  
Case Data

Abstract Objective: Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on October 29, 2012, resulting in widespread power outages and gasoline shortages. These events led to potentially toxic exposures and the need for information related to poisons/toxins in the environment. This report characterizes the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System (NJPIES) call patterns in the days immediately preceding, during, and after Hurricane Sandy to identify areas in need of public health education and prevention. Methods: We examined NJPIES case data from October through December 2012. Most Sandy-related calls had been coded as such by NJPIES staff. Additional Sandy-related cases were identified by performing a case narrative review. Descriptive analyses were performed for timing, case frequencies, exposure substances, gender, caller site, type of information requests, and other data. Results: The most frequent Sandy-related exposures were gasoline and carbon monoxide (CO). Gasoline exposure cases were predominantly males and CO exposure cases, females (P < 0.0001). Other leading reasons for Sandy-related calls were poison information, food poisoning/spoilage information, and water contamination. Conclusions: This analysis identified the need for enhanced public health education and intervention to improve the handling of gasoline and encourage the proper use of gasoline-powered generators and cleaning and cooking equipment, thus reducing toxic exposures.

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