Washington Poison Center Releases 2018 Data Reports: Many Concerning Poisoning Trends Noted

SEATTLE, Dec. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington Poison Center has assisted Washingtonians for over 60 years through its toll-free Poison Helpline (1-800-222-1222), available 24/7/365. Staffed by nurses and pharmacists with expert-level training in toxicology, the Poison Helpline provides free, confidential, and immediate information and treatment advice on poisonings, drug overdoses, and toxic exposures.

The Washington Poison Center documents Poison Helpline calls in a central database, capturing the type of poison exposure, clinical effects, treatment recommendations, and more. As of 2018, this database comprised over 1.7 million cases, enabling the organization to analyze trends, use and abuse of substances, and potential public health threats. This data additionally assists with public health intervention and prevention strategies, as well as public health, epidemiologic, and medical research.

Every year, the Washington Poison Center analyzes and compiles call data into reports based on age, exposure categories, and/or county. The 2018 Data Reports are available for viewing and download at www.wapc.org/data/data-reports/, and include updates to previous reports (General Statistics and Top 10 Exposures; Opioids; Cannabis; Nicotine) and two new reports (Children and Adolescent Self-Poisoning; Adults 60 and Older).

Highlights from the 2018 Data Reports:

• In 2018, the Washington Poison Center answered 113,586 calls involving 64,139 patients.
• Children six and younger accounted for 46% of all exposed patients.
• Children and Adolescent Self-Poisoning: Based on calls between 2014 and 2018, cases of self-harm/suicidal intent involving medications and other substances increased 155% (2.5 times) in children 6-12 years and 40% in adolescents 13-19 years. The majority of these cases were females.
• Opioids: Unintentional opioid ingestions were common in children 0-5 years, while opioid therapeutic errors were common in adults ≥ 60 years. Additionally, there was an increased incidence of opioid exposure calls from rural areas.
• Cannabis: Since retail cannabis stores opened in 2014, unintentional cannabis exposure calls for children 0-5 years have almost tripled.
• Adults 60 and Older: 9.2% of all calls were regarding adults ≥ 60 years; 44% of those calls were related to medication errors.
• Nicotine: 73% of nicotine exposures occurred in children 0-5 years of age.

For more information on these reports, contact mryuk@wapc.org.

About the Washington Poison Center: The Washington Poison Center, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, assists Washington communities with information and treatment advice on poisonings, drug overdoses, and toxic exposures through its emergency telephone helpline and public education. For more information, visit: www.wapc.org.

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SOURCE Washington Poison Center