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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Thirteen percent of poison exposure calls related to painkillers

U.S. poison centers answered more than 4.3 million calls in 2008, including nearly 2.5 million calls about human exposures to poison, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers -- up from 4.2 million calls in 2007. About 13 percent of all poison exposure calls poison centers received in 2008 were related to analgesics, or painkillers.

The National Poison Data System also documented 1,756 deaths reported to poison centers in 2008. Most of these fatalities involved exposure to drugs including sedatives, antipsychotics, antidepressants and cardiovascular drugs. And most poison-related fatalities occurred among adults between the ages of 20 and 59.



Other findings in the report:
  • Though deaths reported to poison centers have increased since last year, pediatric deaths reported to poison centers are down. In 2007, the National Poison Data System reported 1,597 deaths, with 47 among children. In 2008, the National Poison Data System reported 1,756 deaths, with 39 among children.
  • Most information calls -- 1.14 million -- were for drug identification. Drug information calls increased 30 percent from 2007.
  • Nearly 83 percent of poison exposures were unintentional. Suicidal intent was suspected in about nine percent of cases.
  • Poison centers are serving a far larger population than in 1983, the first year the American Association of Poison Control Centers began documenting poison exposures. In 1983, 16 poison centers served 43.1 million. In 2008, 61 poison centers served a population of 304 million.
This is the 26th annual report issued by the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
The full report is available online at www.aapcc.org. It was published in the December issue of Clinical Toxicology.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers supports the nation's poison control centers. Poison centers offer free and confidential services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For questions about poison or poison prevention, call your local poison control center at 1 (800) 222-1222.

SOURCE American Association of Poison Control Centers

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