Medical Outcome for Poison Exposures in 2017
In 2017, the Poison Center received 40,724 calls for exposures to poisons. Of those 40,724 exposure calls, 3,832 resulted in ED visits, 5,399 resulted in hospitalizations, and only 23 were fatal exposures.
Management Site for Poison Center Exposure Calls in 2017
67% of all calls to the Poison Center were successfully treated at the site of the exposure – thus eliminating the need for the cost of an emergency room visit. Only 31% of the calls needed to be treated at a healthcare facility.
Drug vs. Non-Drug Poison Center Exposure Calls 2017
This figure shows the percentage of Poison Center exposure calls that were drugs versus the percentage that were non-drugs. 56% of exposures were from drugs. The top 5 drug exposures were from analgesics, antidepressants, sedatives/hypnotics/antipsychotics, cardiovascular drugs, and antihistamines. The remaining 44% of exposures were from non-pharmaceutical items such as cosmetic/personal care products, cleaning substances, foreign bodies/toys/miscellaneous, pesticides, and plants.
Percentage of Calls by Call Site, 2017
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71% of the exposure calls in 2017 were from home residences. 23% of the calls were from healthcare professionals who requested clinical consultations from toxicologists.
Additional information
- Regional Poison Center Annual Reports
- MA and RI Annual Reports
- American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) Annual Reports
- AAPCC Annual Reports and Data Snapshots from 1999
- Drug and Overdose Poisoning Data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health
- Massachusetts Drug and Overdose Poisoning Data Reports