American Association of Poison Control Centers

The American Association of Poison Control Centers also known as the AAPCC focuses on the goal to provide knowledge of chemicals, control methods, and information on how to prevent possible exposure to toxins. The AAPCC provides surveillance throughout the United State for any type of exposure in which one may be at risk. The American Association of Poison Control has fifty six centers that serve the 50 states and other United States territories.

What is the phone number and what is unique about it? The phone number to reach the AAPCC is 1(800) 222-1222. The AAPCC calls this the poison help line; it is a 24/7 help line that provides an individual with poison information and advice if already exposed. If an individual calls the emergency information prevention help line an employee of the center can offer free confidential medical advice to the individual on the other end, and recommend what is best to do whether it be an in home treatment or seeking immediate medical attention.

What are the qualifications to work there? The qualifications to work at The American Association of Poison Control Centers requires employees to be trained in clinical toxicology and be certified to be relaying information to callers. All of the individuals who work at the help centers are already in the medical field, however they have to learn the ins and outs of clinical toxicology and pass the board. There are many positions offered at the control centers for their employees, so they have the ability to move around to different positions depending on how qualified they are.

How many calls were made to the center in 2014? In 2014 The American Association of Poison Control logged a total of 2,890,909 calls. These calls were made due to either human exposure, animal exposures, human confirmed non- exposures and animal confirmed non-exposures. Many people call the centers to get information or ask advice. One of my family members had to call the American Association of Poison Control Center because her son had eaten his dog feces when she was at work.

What age group has the highest exposure? The age group that has the highest exposure rate is children ≤5 years old. This group is the highest rate because they are still learning what they are capable of doing and while that is extraordinary it can also be concerning. Young children do not have the strongest immune systems which mean that the smallest amount of ingestion can be harmful. They have high risks of unintentional exposures and are at higher risk of fatality if they come in contact with a toxin.

What was the reason for the exposure and the route? The route of exposure in 83.7% of the cases was ingestion. At a young age children are curious and learning, they often put anything and everything in their mouths which can cause for harmful ingestion if not careful. The other routes though not as prominent are dermal, inhalation and ocular routes. In 2014 there were 1,173 fatalities and 81.4% of the fatalities were due to ingestion.

What substances are causing this? The most common substance that is causing serious exposures that could lead to fatalities is analgesics. This is drug provides pain relief, a high percentage of the pediatrics that were exposed were fatal.

 https://aapcc.s3.amazonaws.com/pdfs/annual_reports/2014_AAPCC_NPDS_Annual_Report.pdf