PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Severity of calls to US poison centers increases sharply for both adults, kids

Severity of calls to US poison centers increases sharply for both adults, kids
2024-06-06
(Press-News.org) America’s poison centers are fielding increasingly severe cases that are dramatically more likely to lead to severe harm or death in both adults and children, a new study from the University of Virginia School of Medicine reveals.

The number of calls about intentional exposures that resulted in death among adults increased a whopping 233.9% between the beginning of 2007 and the end of 2021, the study reveals. “Intentional exposures” include cases such as suicide attempts, use of illegal drugs and incorrect use of medications for reasons other than their intended purpose, such as to get high.

The severity of unintentional exposures increased as well, with the number resulting in severe harm (such as disfigurement or disability) increasing by 37.4% and the number resulting in death increasing by 65.3%. This spike in serious outcomes occurred even as the total number of calls for unintentional exposures decreased slightly, by .8%. These cases include unintentional medication misuse, such as taking an incorrect dose; workplace and environmental exposures to harmful substances; bites and stings; and food poisoning.  

The severity of cases among children was up, too: The number of pediatric intentional exposures resulting in severe harm or death was up by 76.6%, even as the total number of cases declined by 33%. The number of unintentional exposures resulting in severe harm or death was up by 190.1% and 122.7%, respectively.

“As a society, we should be concerned at these trends pertaining to children,” said researcher Christopher Holstege, MD, director of UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center and chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology at UVA’s School of Medicine. “We need to collaboratively strategize on better delineating the root causes for such severe cases of pediatric poisonings, especially in the realms of mental health and substance use and misuse.”

Troubling Poison Trends

With drug overdose deaths rising around the nation, Holstege and his collaborators – UVA epidemiologist Rita Farah, PharmD, PhD, and Ryan J. Cole, MD – wanted to get a better sense of the outcomes for calls poison centers have received in recent years. So, they reviewed more than 33.7 million poison exposures reported to the 55 poison centers in the United States between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2021. These calls included almost 8 million unintentional exposures among adults 19 and older, 3.9 million intentional adult exposures, 18.7 million unintentional pediatric exposures and more than 1.6 million intentional pediatric exposures. 

The researchers found that calls were increasingly likely to result in severe harm or death as time went on, and this held true across all age groups. Calls about cases that had minor effects, meanwhile, declined. 

That aligned with what Holstege expected. “We were not surprised by the study findings. In fact, what prompted us to look at the data on a national level is the increased severity of cases we are seeing at UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center,” he said. “The cause for this trend is multifactorial: We have experienced a growing mental health crisis in the nation’s youth, and we are finding an increasing number of dangerous novel psychoactive substances such as synthetic opioids and designer benzodiazepines entering society.”

Despite the increasing severity of calls to poison centers, the researchers did not find a consistent, corresponding increase to critical care units. This may have resulted, in part, from the COVID-19 pandemic limiting available healthcare resources, the researchers say. 

With poisons centers being called upon to handle increasingly severe cases, they may need to rethink how they allocate resources, the researchers note. For example, they may need to have more toxicologists available to field complex cases that go beyond the expertise of the poison specialists who answer calls. 

“Poison centers are an integral part of the medical management team as we see an increase in the severity of cases of poisoning,” Holstege said. “Poison centers are staffed with clinical toxicologists who provide free expert recommendations on a vast array of toxicologic emergencies to the public and to professionals who call. Involving toxicologists early can save lives and reduce the length of hospital stay.”

Findings Published

The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal Clinical Toxicology. The authors have no financial interest in the work.

To keep up with the latest medical research news from UVA, subscribe to the Making of Medicine blog.

MORE FROM THE BLUE RIDGE POISON CENTER: Free book on poisonous plants available for download.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Severity of calls to US poison centers increases sharply for both adults, kids Severity of calls to US poison centers increases sharply for both adults, kids 2 Severity of calls to US poison centers increases sharply for both adults, kids 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Novel diamond quantum magnetometer for ambient condition magnetoencephalography

Novel diamond quantum magnetometer for ambient condition magnetoencephalography
2024-06-06
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a biomedical imaging technique used for mapping brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by the naturally occurring electrical currents generated by neurons in the brain, using very sensitive magnetometers. Currently, MEG requires a magnetically shielded room for operation. Achieving MEG that works in normal environments, without the need for magnetic shielding, is a major goal. This would enable daily diagnosis, brain-machine interfaces, and fundamental research on brain function. Magnetometers using diamond quantum sensors with nitrogen–vacancy (NV) centers are promising candidates for realizing ambient ...

Novel lipopeptide proves lethal against Staphylococcus areus

Novel lipopeptide proves lethal against Staphylococcus areus
2024-06-06
A novel antibacterial lipopeptide produced by the bacterium Serratia marcescens has been shown to be highly effective in killing Staphylococcus aureus – one of the most important pathogens occurring in humans. Staphylococcus aureus is one of the five most common causes of hospital-acquired infections and is often the cause of life-threatening infections following surgery. Since the introduction of antibiotics in the early 1940s, S. aureus has by now developed resistance against most classes of antibiotics, ...

Harposporium incensis sp. nov., a South American cordycipitoid species exhibiting inter-phylum host-jumping and having potential as a biological control agent for pest management

Harposporium incensis sp. nov., a South American cordycipitoid species exhibiting inter-phylum host-jumping and having potential as a biological control agent for pest management
2024-06-06
The genus of Harposporium belongs to the Ascomycota of the Fungi kingdom, the class Sortariomycetes, the order Hypocreales, and the family Ophiocordyceiaceae, is a common genus of soil fungi. The species of Harposporium are pathogens of nematodes, with some also infecting rotifers or tardigrades, and has significant ecological value. In recent years, studies have shown that a few species of the genus Harposporium can also parasitize insects or other invertebrates, such as H. janus, which can infect beetles in the Coleoptera family. However, so far, it has not been found that the same species in this genus can parasitize different invertebrates in both sexual and asexual stages. Is there a ...

Balancing act between digestion and liver health through bile acids

Balancing act between digestion and liver health through bile acids
2024-06-06
Bile acids are essential molecules the liver produces that play a critical role in digestion. They help us absorb fat-soluble vitamins and cholesterol from our food. However, bile acids can become a double-edged sword. While they are necessary for proper digestion, high concentrations can also be toxic to the liver. Recent research is shedding light on the complex relationship between bile acids and liver health. Scientists have identified new ways in which bile acids interact with cellular stress responses, impacting how the liver functions in diseases ...

Cleveland clinic-led study links sugar substitute to increased risk of heart attack and stroke

Cleveland clinic-led study links sugar substitute to increased risk of heart attack and stroke
2024-06-06
June 6, 2024, Cleveland: Cleveland Clinic researchers found higher amounts of the sugar alcohol xylitol are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke.     The team, led by Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., confirmed the association in a large-scale patient analysis, preclinical research models and a clinical intervention study. Findings were published today in the European Heart Journal.     Xylitol is a common sugar substitute used in sugar-free candy, gums, baked ...

Vigorous exercise may preserve cognition in high-risk patients with hypertension

Vigorous exercise may preserve cognition in high-risk patients with hypertension
2024-06-06
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – June 6, 2024 – People with high blood pressure have a higher risk of cognitive impairment, including dementia, but a new study from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that engaging in vigorous physical activity more than once a week can lower that risk. The findings appear online today in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. “We know that physical exercise offers many benefits, including lowering blood pressure, improving heart health and potentially delaying cognitive decline,” said Richard Kazibwe, ...

Sanders-Brown study: Long-read RNA sequencing reveals key gene expressions in Alzheimer’s disease

Sanders-Brown study: Long-read RNA sequencing reveals key gene expressions in Alzheimer’s disease
2024-06-06
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Researchers at the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging are working to develop a pre-symptomatic disease diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease. “While the need for better treatments is clear, such treatments will not be very meaningful if they are administered after symptoms have onset. By then, Alzheimer’s disease has been ravaging the brain for decades to the point the brain can no longer compensate for the extreme cellular death,” said Mark ...

Women with excess weight as a teen or young adult may have higher stroke risk by age 55

2024-06-06
Research Highlights: Women with excess weight at age 14 or 31 may have increased ischemic (clot caused) stroke risk before age 55. The same ischemic stroke risk was not found in men. Losing excess weight after adolescence may not eliminate the stroke risk. These findings are according to a study conducted in Finland that followed more than 10,000 people from birth into their 50s. Researchers suggest health care professionals pay attention to overweight and obesity in young people and work with them to promote healthy eating and physical activity from an early age. Embargoed ...

New glioblastoma treatment reaches human brain tumor and helps immune cells recognize cancer cells

2024-06-06
·  Major advance for treatment of deadly brain cancer ·  Clinical trial launched at Northwestern to test treatment ·  Ultrasound microbubbles open blood-brain barrier to admit chemotherapy and immunotherapy cocktail   CHICAGO --- In a major advance for the treatment of the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma, Northwestern Medicine scientists used ultrasound technology to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and provide a small dose of a chemotherapy and immunotherapy drug cocktail. The study found that this treatment ...

Using oceanography to understand fronts and cyclones on Jupiter

Using oceanography to understand fronts and cyclones on Jupiter
2024-06-06
New research led by Lia Siegelman, a physical oceanographer at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, shows that the roiling storms at the planet Jupiter’s polar regions are powered by processes known to physicists studying Earth’s oceans and atmosphere. The geophysical commonalities spanning the 452 million miles between the two planets could even help facilitate an improved understanding of those processes on Earth.  Siegelman first made the connection between our planet and the gas giant in 2018 when she noticed a striking similarity between images of Jupiter’s huge cyclones and the ocean turbulence she was studying. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Oil spill still contaminating sensitive Mauritius mangroves three years on

Unmasking the voices of experience in healthcare studies

Pandemic raised food, housing insecurity in Oregon despite surge in spending

OU College of Medicine professor earns prestigious pancreatology award

Sub-Saharan Africa leads global HIV decline: Progress made but UNAIDS 2030 goals hang in balance, new IHME study finds

Popular diabetes and obesity drugs also protect kidneys, study shows

Stevens INI receives funding to expand research on the neural underpinnings of bipolar disorder

Protecting nature can safeguard cities from floods

NCSA receives honors in 2024 HPCwire Readers’ and Editors’ Choice Awards

Warning: Don’t miss Thanksgiving dinner, it’s more meaningful than you think

Expanding HPV vaccination to all adults aged 27-45 years unlikely to be cost-effective or efficient for HPV-related cancer prevention

Trauma care and mental health interventions training help family physicians prepare for times of war

Adapted nominal group technique effectively builds consensus on health care priorities for older adults

Single-visit first-trimester care with point-of-care ultrasound cuts emergency visits by 81% for non-miscarrying patients

Study reveals impact of trauma on health care professionals in Israel following 2023 terror attack

Primary care settings face barriers to screening for early detection of cognitive impairment

November/December Annals of Family Medicine Tip Sheet

Antibiotics initiated for suspected community-acquired pneumonia even when chest radiography results are negative

COVID-19 stay-at-home order increased reporting of food, housing, and other health-related social needs in Oregon

UW-led research links wildfire smoke exposure with increased dementia risk

Most U.S. adults surveyed trust store-bought turkey is free of contaminants, despite research finding fecal bacteria in ground turkey

New therapy from UI Health offers FDA-approved treatment option for brittle type 1 diabetes

Alzheimer's: A new strategy to prevent neurodegeneration

A clue to what lies beneath the bland surfaces of Uranus and Neptune

Researchers uncover what makes large numbers of “squishy” grains start flowing

Scientists uncover new mechanism in bacterial DNA enzyme opening pathways for antibiotic development

New study reveals the explosive secret of the squirting cucumber

Vanderbilt authors find evidence that the hunger hormone leptin can direct neural development in a leptin receptor–independent manner

To design better water filters, MIT engineers look to manta rays

Self-assembling proteins can be used for higher performance, more sustainable skincare products

[Press-News.org] Severity of calls to US poison centers increases sharply for both adults, kids