Understanding poison control and protecting its future. Pediatr Ann 2005 Dec;34(12):983-4, 987-8
Date
01/20/2006Pubmed ID
16419736DOI
10.3928/0090-4481-20051201-14Scopus ID
2-s2.0-29144460622 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
Poison centers save money and lives. Individual patients and their doctors benefit from local poison center availability, as do healthcare facilities and insurance companies. All have a stake in a stable poison control system. It is likely that the greatest contribution of poison control centers to society has yet to be realized. Poison control centers already possess an efficient, realtime surveillance mechanism (TESS). With increased funding, this can be expanded and made more available outside the poison control community. TESS can be used to detect chemical releases or attacks and environmental and infectious disease outbreaks as they occur - long before individual healthcare providers could connect the dots. In conclusion, while the value of a nationwide poison control system to society is well recognized, its future is not as clear. Establishing a stable system to monitor and treat poisonings in the US will take political will at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure full funding for years to come.
Author List
Kostic MA, Rose SR, Bebarta VSAuthor
Mark Kostic MD Professor in the Emergency Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
ComprehensionForecasting
Health Expenditures
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Poison Control Centers
United States
