Poison Help & Information

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Top Ten for 2011

WAPC 2011 data

  • Human exposures reported to WAPC: 59,853
  • Of these, over 78% were managed over the telephone and were not seen in a health care facility
  • Over 26% of human exposures were followed-up by WAPC staff
  • Almost 52% of all exposures were about children under the age of six
  • Over 717 pet owners called WAPC about their animal friends (note: there is a $45 fee for animal calls):
    • Dog 89%
    • Cat 9%
    • Bird 0.2%
    • Horse 0.1%
    • Rodent / Lagomorph 0.2%
    • Other Animal 0.8%

Top 10 reasons people called the Poison Center

  1. Accidental Exposure (children or animals getting into something, or an adult with an accident)
  2. Therapeutic Error (medication error)
  3. Accidental Misuse of a Product (didn’t follow directions)
  4. Self Harm
  5. Drug or Alcohol Abuse
  6. Intentional Misuse of a Product (read the directions, but did not follow them)
  7. Environmental Exposure (something in the water, air, or other contaminate)
  8. Adverse reaction to a Drug  (a bad side effect)
  9. Food poisoning
  10. Occupational Exposure (exposed to something at work)

Categories: Top 10 Human (Adults and Children) Exposures

  1. Analgesics
  2. Cosmetics/personal care products
  3. Cleaning substances (household)
  4. Sedative/hypnotics/antipsychotics
  5. Foreign bodies/toys/miscellaneous
  6. Topical preparations
  7. Antidepressants
  8. Cardiovascular drugs
  9. Antihistamines
  10. Vitamins
  11. Plants

Categories: Top 10 Pediatric (under 6 yr) Exposures

  1. Cosmetics/Personal Care Products
  2. Analgesics
  3. Cleaning Substances (household)
  4. Foreign Bodies/Toys/Miscellaneous
  5. Topical Preparations (hydrocortisone ointment, triple antibiotic ointments, etc)
  6. Vitamins
  7. Plants
  8. Antihistamines (all)
  9. Dietary Supplements/Herbals/Homeopathic
  10. Gastrointestinal Preparations

Categories: Top Adult (> 20 yr) Exposures

  1. Analgesics
  2. Sedative/Hypnotics/Antipsychotics
  3. Antidepressants
  4. Cardiovascular Drugs
  5. Cleaning Substances (household)
  6. Food & Food Poisoning
  7. Alcohol
  8. Stimulants And Street Drugs
  9. Anticonvulsants
  10. Antihistamines ( all)

Substances: Top 10 Human (Adults and Children) Exposures

  1. Ibuprofen
  2. Benzodiazepines
  3. Alcoholic Beverages
  4. Antihistamines, excluding diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
  5. SSRI Antidepressants
  6. Antibiotics
  7. Food Poisoning
  8. Atypical antipsychotic
  9. Diaper care/rash product
  10. Acetaminophen alone, adult formulation

Substances: Top 10 Pediatric (under 6 yr) Exposures

  1. Ibuprofen
  2. Diaper Care/Rash Product
  3. Acetaminophen, pediatric formulation
  4. Toothpaste with Fluoride
  5. Desiccant
  6. Cream/Lotion/Make-Up
  7. Multivitamins, no Iron, no Fluoride
  8. Deodorant
  9. Antihistamines, excluding diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
  10. Glow Products (sticks, necklaces, bracelets, etc)

Substances: Top Adult (>20 yr) Exposures

  1. Benzodiazepines
  2. Alcoholic Beverages
  3. Atypical Antipsychotic
  4. SSRI Antidepressants
  5. Anticonvulsants
  6. Ibuprofen
  7. Acetaminophen (alone), adult formulation
  8. Hydrocodone with Acetaminophen
  9. Food Poisoning
  10. Antibiotics

 Animals: Top 10 Animal Categories

  1. Pesticides
  2. Plants
  3. Human Food
  4. Cardiovascular drugs (heart and blood pressure)
  5. Fertilizers
  6. Cleaning substances (household)
  7. Foreign Bodies & Other Non-Drug substances (embalming fluid, ice packs, hand warmers, toys, etc)
  8. Vitamins
  9. Analgesics (pain medications)
  10. Dietary Supplements