Characterization of the epidemiological profile of calls received at the Poison Information Center of the Catholic University (CITUC), in 2010

Abstract

Objective: To describe and to characterize the epidemiologoc profile of the entering pone calls in 2010 belonging to exposures by the Centro de Información Toxicológica de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Method: A retrospective and descriptive study of phone calls registered by the CITUC has been made during 2010. The following has been analyzed: total phone calls number, place of the call, exposure circumstances, kind and number of agents involved, exposure way, time from exposure, gender and age of the patients. Outcomes: 29.592 phone calls were registered. 45,2% of the questions came from home and 53,2% from medical institutions. 69,3% were non intented exposures and 27,6% were intented. The drugs were the causal agent of exposures in 58,4% of the phone calla, followed by cleaning use products (18,7%) and insecticides (5,8%). Swallowing was the predominant exposure way with 79,3% of the total. 41% of total of phone calls, were made in the first hour after exposure. The children under 14 years exposure cases, were were 51,6% of total phone calls. Conclusions: Medical drugs are the principal involved agent in intoxications. The main way of exposition is swallowing and the major population group involved is children under 14 years. These indicators shows the need of developing prevention and information campaigns supported by Secretary of Health, oriented to right use of drugs, as well as the use of safety drug boxes for children and population education.