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You Might Need to Call, too.... A 3-year-old boy gets into his grandfather’s pill minder. His mother says glipizide tablets are missing. An animal control officer responds to reports of a loose snake in an apartment complex. A Copperhead bites him on the hand when he attempts to capture the reptile. He presents to the nearest Emergency Department. A 4-year-old girl removes the disc or “button” battery from a toy and ingests the battery. Her father asks what to do. These are just a few examples of the more than two million human exposure calls received each year by Poison Control Centers nationwide. Who Answers the Phones? Each call is handled by Specialists in Poison Information (SPI). A SPI can be a nurse with a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, or three-year diploma; pharmacist; or physician. SPIs work in the 64 U.S. Poison Control Centers (PCCs). They provide emergency telephone consultations about toxic exposures, both to health professionals and to the public, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. SPIs also provide professional and public education in poison prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Why Does the Poison Control Center Need to Call Me Back? In addition to providing telephone consultations, SPIs perform another important service: collection of vital human exposure data. Over 2 million follow-up calls to homes, schools, workplaces and health care facilities are placed by Poison Control Centers annually to provide further patient guidance, confirm compliance with recommendations, and gather final outcome data. Data gathered by Poison Control Centers are immediately submitted (anonymously) to the American Association of Poison Control Center’s (AAPCC) Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS). TESS data are then compiled by the AAPCC and used to identify hazards early, focus prevention education and guide clinical research. Regulatory agencies such as the FDA, EPA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission base regulatory actions on TESS data. One example: use of child resistant closures on various products. The Poison Control Center wouldn’t be able to provide the same high quality advice and toxicity information without good feedback from parents, grandparents, child care providers, patients, school nurses and health care facility staff. The information provided is confidential. PCCs don’t intend to be intrusive. The staff understands that you are busy, and may leave messages on your voice mail asking you to call us back at your convenience, any time, day or night. Poison Control Centers greatly appreciate return calls. They provide the information needed to help serve you better!
Author: Mary E. May, RN, BA, MPH
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