A national survey of regional poison control centers' management of occupational exposure calls.
Regional poison control centers (PCCs) were surveyed nationally to assess their policies and practices in handling work-related exposures. A 24-item survey was mailed to the executive directors of 44 American Association of Poison Control Centers' certified PCCs nationwide. The survey also requested permission to call the PCC to conduct a blinded role-playing exercise of a case of work-related trichloroethane exposure. Responses on the management questionnaire were compared with the actual responses provided by information specialists in the role-playing exercise. Seventy-five percent of PCCs completed the survey; 43% completed the telephone role-playing exercise. Survey respondents generally overestimated what they thought was routinely done to assess work-related calls, compared with what actually occurred at the time of the work-related call in the role-playing exercise. For example, 32% indicated that their PCC asked about the activities of nearby workers, but none of the PCC staff actually did so. Eighty-nine percent of the PCC executive directors surveyed thought that their staff routinely advised callers to notify their employer about work-related exposure concerns, but this occurred in only 11% of the calls. We concluded that PCCs' responses to work-related calls are inadequate. Given the public health impact of work-related calls, PCCs should develop, implement, and monitor written protocols to better address the public health issues of workplace poisonings.
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine, MCP Hahnemann University of the Health Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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EA
Bresnitz
J L
JL
Gittleman
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Shic
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B
Temple
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Henretig
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000592:standards; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D011050:Policy Making; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D012381:Role Playing; D014240:Trichloroethanes / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning; D014481:United States
D015386:Hazardous Substances; D014240:Trichloroethanes