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/lp/american-medical-association/patterns-of-calling-time-and-ipecac-availability-among-poison-center-OSbg2RK71n
- Publisher
- American Medical Association
- Copyright
- Copyright © 1987 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
- ISSN
- 0002-922X
- DOI
- 10.1001/archpedi.1987.04460060040028
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
Abstract • Over a one-month period all telephone calls from the public (n=3828) to a regional poison center were analyzed. The proportion of early calls (within ten minutes of exposure) decreased with age. Late calls (>30 minutes) were significantly associated with higher hospital referral rates when compared with earlier calls in children younger than 5 years (4.6% vs 1.8%) and adults (33% vs 15%). Ipecac was available in 59% of the homes of callers with children younger than 5 years. Hospital referrals were significantly less common among children who had ipecac at home (1%) compared with children who did not (3%). While the availabilty of ipecac was similar among callers and a matched sample of households who previously called the poison center (58%), ipecac was much less frequently available (24%) among households whose members had not previously called the center. These data infer that educating the public to call the poison center promptly may result in reduction of hospital referrals. Poison education efforts should be targeted to populations with low ipecac availability and low utilization of the poison center. (AJDC 1987;141:622-625) References 1. Thompson DT, Trammel HL, Robertson NJ, et al: Evaluation of regional and nonregional poison centers . N Engl J Med 1983;308:191-194.Crossref 2. Litovitz T, Veltri JC: 1984 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Data Collection System . Am J Emerg Med 1984;3:423-450.Crossref 3. Report of the Poison Control Center, Japan: September 1, 1983–August 31, 1984 . Vet Hum Toxicol 1985;27:106-110. 4. Mowry JG, Sketris IS, Czajka PA: Ipecac syrup for poisoning at home: Availability, compliance and response monitored by telephone . Am J Hosp Pharm 1981;38:1028-1030. 5. Alpert JJ, Levin MD, Kosa J: Public knowledge of ipecac syrup in the management of accidental poisoning . J Pediatr 1967;71:890-894.Crossref 6. Veltri JC, Temple AR: Telephone management of poisoning using syrup of ipecac . Clin Toxicol 1976;9:407-417.Crossref 7. Lacouture P, Minisci M, Gouveia WA, et al: Evaluation of community based poison education program . Clin Toxicol 1978;13:623-629.Crossref 8. Waldman JM, Mofenson HC, Greensher J: Evaluating the function of a poison control center . Clin Pediatr 1976;15:75-79.Crossref 9. Polakoff JM, Lacouture PG, Lovejoy FH Jr: The environment away from home as a source of potential poisoning . AJDC 1984;138:1014-1017. 10. Chafee-Bahamon C, Lovejoy FH Jr: Effectiveness of a regional poison center in reducing excess emergency room visits for children's poisoning . Pediatrics 1983;72:164-169. 11. Wood G, Chamberlain S, Duffy J: Impact of a poison prevention program on a metropolitan population , abstracted. Clin Toxicol 1979;15:476. 12. Marcus SM, Chafee-Bahamon C, Arnold VW, et al: A regional poison control system: Effect on response to hypothetical poisonings . AJDC 1984;138:1010-1013.
Journal
American Journal of Diseases of Children – American Medical Association
Published: Jun 1, 1987
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