Press release

NATIONAL CAPITAL POISON CENTER

NEWS RELEASE

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Press release: webPOISONCONTROL upgrades, Oct 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2017

National Capital Poison Center:

Toby Litovitz, MD

pc@poison.org

webPOISONCONTROL^® upgrade provides expert online help for more poison exposures

Washington, Oct 4, 2017 – An extensive upgrade of the webPOISONCONTROL online tool and app lets users get fully-automated expert guidance for swallowed poisons, products splashed in the eye or on the skin, and inhaled substances, whether or not symptoms are present. webPOISONCONTROL, the first online triage tool for poison emergencies, provides case-specific recommendations for nearly 4000 poison exposures a month.

webPOISONCONTROL is a free, confidential, easy-to-use online tool that helps people determine whether a household product, medicine, or plant is dangerous. More than 63,000 people have safely used webPOISONCONTROL for online poison help. It takes just 3 minutes to enter the substance name, amount, age, weight, and symptoms. Users then receive a specific recommendation: it's safe to stay home; go immediately to the ER; or call a poison center for further guidance. When it's safe to stay home, the app tells you what to do, then lists symptoms that are not of concern and symptoms that should trigger a call to a poison center or an ER visit.

"Every day, nearly 6000 people call US poison centers. Another 4000 to 9000 struggle with a poison exposure but don't call", says Toby Litovitz, MD, director of the project. "Some don't call because they don’t like talking on the phone or getting stuck in phone queues. Others are embarrassed, suspect they will be judged, don't have phone access, or don’t want to scare their children. Too many people just guess - resulting in needless ER visits for those who don’t need to see a doctor, and dire outcomes for those who stay home when they should have sought medical care."

Now you can choose how you get poison help. If you prefer the internet, try webPOISONCONTROL. If you'd rather talk to a person, call a poison center at 1-800-222-1222. Just don’t guess. To prepare for a poison emergency, try webPOISONCONTROL at www.poison.org, www.webpoisoncontrol.org, or download the webPOISONCONTROL app on the App Store or on Google Play.

webPOISONCONTROL is sponsored by the National Capital Poison Center. Content is created by clinical toxicology experts. The simplicity of the app belies the more than 3000 complex algorithms used to analyze ingredient toxicity for several hundred thousand products.

webPOISONCONTROL is funded by donations, including a generous Potomac Health Foundation grant. To contribute, donate online. To learn more, visit our Press Box or infographic.

About NCPC

The National Capital Poison Center, founded in 1980, is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides 24/7 online guidance for poison emergencies throughout the US, free of charge.

Learn more about the National Capital Poison Center here.

Learn more about webPOISONCONTROL here.

For more information, please contact pc@poison.org.

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