What are National Poison Prevention Week and the highlights of the Tennessee Poison Center?
March 8, 2024
National Poison Prevention Week occurs in the third week of March. It was designated by Congress in 1961 to promote poison safety and awareness. America’s Poison Centers, formally known as the American Association of Poison Control Centers, has set this year’s theme as:
“When the unexpected happens, Poison Help is here for you 24/7.”
Poisonings can occur anywhere, anytime, and to anyone. They can occur through a multitude of modalities including ingestions, injections, inhalations, dermal exposures, and envenomations. The Tennessee Poison Center is available 24/7/365 through a toll-free number 1-800-222-1222 to respond to poison emergencies. In addition to the nurses, pharmacists, and physicians who are specially trained to answer the hotline, there are 3 board-certified medical toxicologists who provide back up 24/7. In 2023, the TPC answered 52,123 calls. Forty-seven percent will ages 5 and under and 68% were managed on site and did not require hospital care. The Tennessee Poison Center saved taxpayers an estimated 21.4 million dollars in unnecessary ED visits.
In addition to the Poison Help Hotline, the Tennessee Poison Center provides poison prevention education and outreach throughout the state. It distributes over 80,000 pieces of literature per year. Furthermore, through an award-winning partnership with the University of Tennessee Extension Educators, many more Tennesseans receive poison prevention education. Lastly, the Tennessee Poison Center’s data is uploaded every 8-9 minutes to Washington, DC looking for anomalous signals in both symptoms and substances providing 24/7 biochemical terrorism surveillance for the State of Tennessee.
Question prepared by Rebecca Bruccoleri, MD
I am interested in any questions you would like answered in the Question of the Week. Please email me with any suggestions at donna.seger@vumc.org.
Donna Seger, MD
Professor Emerita
Department of Medicine
VUMC