Poisonings: Fact Sheet
Occurrence
-
|
|
WISQARS
Allows you to form reports on injury mortality and nonfatal
injury for a wide range of age groups
|
|
Injury
Maps
Allows you to create maps of U.S. injury mortality rates |
|
In
2000, poison control centers reported approximately 2.2 million poison
exposures (Litovitz 2001).
- U.S.
poison control centers handle an average of one poison exposure every 15
seconds (Litovitz 2001).
- More
than 90% of poison exposures occur in the home (Litovitz 2001).
- Of
the more than 2 million poison exposures, 52.7% occurred among children
younger than age six (Litovitz 2001).
- In
2000, 475,079 poison exposures were treated in a health care facility (Litovitz
2001).
- The
most common poison exposures for children were ingestion of household
products such as cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning
substances, pain relievers, foreign bodies, and plants (Litovitz 2001).
- For
adults, the most common poison exposures were pain relievers, sedatives,
cleaning substances, antidepressants, and bites/stings (Litovitz 2001).
- Childhood
lead poisoning is considered one of the most preventable environmental
diseases of young children yet approximately one million children have
elevated blood levels (CDC 2001).
- Carbon
monoxide (CO) results in more fatal unintentional poisonings in the
United States than any other agent, with the highest number occurring
during the winter months (CDC 1999).
Consequences
- In
2000, 920 poisoning deaths were reported to poison control centers. (Litovitz
2001); 19,741 poisoning deaths were reported to national vital
statistics in 1999 (WISQARS).
- More
than 100,000 poisonings resulted in hospitalization (Litovitz 2001).
- Elevated
blood lead levels as low as 10ug/dL have been associated with adverse
effects on cognitive development, growth, and behavior among children
ages 1 to 5 years (CDC 2000).
- Prolonged
periods of exposure to CO may cause headaches, dizziness, and
sleepiness. Continued exposure brings on nausea, vomiting, and heart
palpitations. Exposure to high levels of CO for prolonged periods can
result in unconsciousness and death (CDC 1982).
Costs
- Medical
spending for poisoning treatment totaled $3 billion in 1992. Spending
averaged $925 (1992 dollars) per case (Miller and Lestina 1997).
- For
every dollar spent on poison control services in 1992, an estimated $7
was saved in medical care payments by reducing the number of medically
treated poisonings. The savings per poisoning call were $175 (Miller and
Lestina 1997).
Groups at
Risk
- Children,
especially those under age 6, are more likely to have unintentional
poisonings than older children and adults (Litovitz 2001).
- Adolescents
are also at risk for poisonings, both intentional and unintentional.
About half of all poisonings among teens are classified as suicide
attempts (Litovitz 2001).
- Children
ages 1 to 5 were more likely to have elevated blood lead levels if they
are poor, of non-Hispanic
African American race, or live in older housing. Children ages 1 to 5
enrolled in Medicaid have a prevalence of elevated blood lead levels
three times greater than children not enrolled in Medicaid (CDC 2000).
Risk Factors
- The
risk for lead exposure in children is determined primarily by
environmental exposure in the child's home. The most common source for
lead exposure for children is lead-based paint that has deteriorated
into paint chips and lead dust (CDC 1997).
- Lead-based
paint is more likely to be present in older houses (CDC 2000). In the
United States, approximately 83% of privately owned housing units and
86% of public housing units built before 1980 contain some lead-based
paint (CDC 1997).
- Carbon
monoxide exposure occurs more often during the cold months of the year
and in the northern and midwestern states (CDC 1992).
References
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) Web Site, National Center for Environmental
Health (NCEH) Fact Sheet “What Every Parent Should Know About Lead”
Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/cdc97a.htm
Accessed 3/22/02.
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Notice to Reader: National Lead Poisoning
Prevention Week – October 21-27, 2001. MMWR 50(42); 927-8, 2001.
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Recommendations for Blood Lead Screening of
Young Children Enrolled in Medicaid: Targeting
a Group at High Risk. MMWR 49
(RR14);1-13, 2000.
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths Associated
with Camping – Georgia, March 1999. MMWR 48(32); 705-706, 1999.
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Update: Blood Lead Levels – United States,
1991-1994. MMWR 46(07); 141-146, 1997.
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Unintentional Carbon Monoxide Poisonings in
Residential Settings –Connecticut, November 1993- March 1994.
MMWR 44(41); 765-7, 1995.
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Unintentional Deaths from Carbon Monoxide
Poisoning – Michigan, 1987-1989. MMWR
41(47); 881-883, 889, 1992.
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Perspectives in Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion National Poison Prevention Week:
25th Anniversary Observance.
MMWR 35(10): 149-152, 1986.
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Perspectives in Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion Carbon Monoxide Intoxication – A Preventable Environmental
Health Hazard. MMWR 31(39);
529-31, 1982.
Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) Web Site, Carbon Monoxide Questions and Answers –
Document 466. Available at: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/466.htm
Accessed 3/22/02.
Litovitz TL,
Klein-Schwartz W, White S, Cobaugh D, Youniss J, Omslaer J, Drab A, and Benson
B. 2000 Annual Report of the
American Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposures Surveillance
System. American Journal of
Emergency Medicine, 19(5): 337 – 396; 2001.
Back to
Top |