Poison Information Centres

In many countries around the world, poison information centres are established to address the concerns of the general public as well as the needs of health professionals in managing a poisoned patient. Historically, the poison centres arose from the need to provide information on the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning cases. In the United States, for... 

Thus, the term overdose (109,530,531) can be misleading, because poisoning can develop not only as a result of overdosage but also by a fall in lithium clearance. Of 205 cases of lithium poisoning reported to the Ontario Canada Regional Poison Information Centre in 1996,12 were acute overdoses (someone else s tablets), 19 were chronic poisonings, and 174 were acute-on-chronic poisonings. Over 80% had no or... 

Stein U, Greyer H, Hentschel H. Nutmeg (myristicin) poisoning—report on a fatal case and a series of cases recorded by a poison information centre. Forensic Sci Int 2001 118(l) 87-90. 

Poison Information Centre—Singapore s Ministry of Health... 

In developing countries, acute pesticide poisoning is a major public health problem because it is so frequent. This chapter will focus on pesticide use in the Asian Pacific region, to illustrate both the causes and extent of pesticide misuse. The role of poisons information centres in poisoning surveillance, management and prevention activities will also be described. 

In Australia, pesticide poisoning enquiries directed to the New South Wales Poisons Information Centre constituted almost 8% of a total of 74,351 telephone enquiries. Organophosphates were the most prevalent group of pesticides (19%), followed by pyrethrins (10%) [9]. 

Enquiries to the New Zealand National Poisons Information Centre concerning pesticide poisoning exposures accounted for 15% of total telephone enquiries for the year ended June 1993 (see Table 27.1). The breakdown of enquiries with respect to type of agricultural agent is shown in Table 27.2 [10]. 

A rather unusual case of pesticide exposure repoted to the New Zealand Poisons Information Centre concerned a helicopter pilot who was involved in the aerial application of a carbamate insecticide onto crops. Foolishly, he mixed the dry powder formulation under the still rotating blades of his helicopter, which caused the powder to disperse into... 

The primary function of poisons information centres is to provide clinical advice on the management of poisoning exposures. The poisonings may be in an acute or chronic context, and thus poisons centres are able to gather case data on human exposures to a wide range of chemicals. 

Data from both human and animal exposures are frequently used in the risk assessment of chemical exposures [12]. Most toxicity data are obtained from animal studies. Human data sources are often not recognized, and internationally there is a lack of systematic experimental and clinical (human) observational data. Available data are often of poor comparability and frequently include inadequate follow-up. A number of institutions and services have the ability to collect human health data, and these include poisons information centres, clinical toxicology centres, pre- and post-natal surveillance programs, occupational health services and hospital out-patient services. 

At the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (2-14 June 1992, Rio De Janeiro) the IPCS had been designated as the nucleus for strengthened international cooperation on environmental and sound management of chemicals. The role of poisons information centres in areas such as chemical risk reduction had been recognized, and governments were urged to establish poisons information centres in their countries. 

New South Wales Poisons Information Centre, 1992 Annual Report, Children s Hospital, Camperdown, Australia (1992), pp. 22. 

B.C. Drug and Poison Information Centre, St. Paul s Hospital, 1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6... 

Provincial Poison Information Centre, Children s Hospital Health Sciences Centre, 840 Sherbrook St., Winnipeg, MB R3A ISl... 

Ontario Regional Poison Information Centre, Children s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON KIH 8L1... 

Ontario Regional Poison Information Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, ONM5G 1X8 ... 

Acute treatment of cyanide poisoning as an alternative to dicobalt edetate, sodium nitrite or sodium thiosulphate. However, its use should ideally be discussed with a poisons information centre first. 

Continuous i.v. infusions may also be given. Advice should be sought from a poisons information centre. 

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