Poison control centers and state-specific poisoning mortality rates

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy Research
• Toxicology

Background:

• Health policy decisions regarding poison control centers have historically relied on their certification status.
• The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) certifies poison control centers.
• The impact of AAPCC certification on public health outcomes, specifically poisoning mortality, requires examination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare poisoning mortality rates in states served by AAPCC-certified poison control centers versus those not served by certified centers.
• To evaluate the association between AAPCC certification status and state-level poisoning mortality rates.

Main Methods:

• Poisoning mortality data from 1993-1997 were extracted from death certificate databases.
• States were categorized based on the level of service provided by AAPCC-certified poison control centers (fully served, partially served, not served).
• Analysis focused on states maintaining a consistent service category over the 5-year study period.

Main Results:

• States with certified poison control centers exhibited a higher mean 5-year poisoning mortality rate (7.08) compared to states with non-certified services (5.17).
• No significant difference in mortality rates was observed between states with certified services and those with partial certified services (6.25).
• Overall poisoning mortality rates showed a statistically significant increase across the 5-year study period for all 39 states analyzed.

Conclusions:

• Increased poisoning mortality rates were associated with AAPCC certification status and the study year.
• Poisoning mortality rates may not be a suitable outcome measure for assessing the impact of poison control centers at this time.
• Current findings do not support basing health policy on state-specific poisoning mortality rates in relation to poison control center certification.