Poison center utilization in nosocomial toxicologic exposures: a prospective study
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Updated: Oct 23, 2026

High Content Screening Analysis to Evaluate the Toxicological Effects of Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents (HPHC)
Published on: May 10, 2016
J A Scalise1, F Harchelroad, E P Krenzelok
1Pittsburgh Poison Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Abstract:
Accidental toxicologic exposures that occur within health care facilities (HCFs) have the potential to increase morbidity and mortality as well as enhance medicolegal liability. By contacting the poison center immediately on recognition of these events, health care providers may ultimately lessen eventual toxic effects through appropriate intervention. Exposures of this nature reported to the poison center over a 12-month period were collected and tabulated for specific occurrences. Six categories of therapeutic mis-adventure were delineated: 1. Right patient/wrong medication (18%); 2. Right patient, right medication/wrong dose or route (16%); 3. Lack of patient education (2%); 4. Proximity of potentially harmful substances to confused persons (54%); 5. Incorrect equipment management (6%); and 6. Pharmacologic treatment based on lab error (4%). This study seeks to increase awareness of poison center ability to assist in management of the "therapeutic misadventure".
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