Acute poisoning: initial management and sources of information

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N Bates, A Dines1

  • 1National Poisons Information Service (London).

Emergency Nurse : the Journal of the RCN Accident and Emergency Nursing Association
|May 31, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Poisoning incidents lead to significant emergency department visits in the UK, particularly among young children. The National Poison Information Service (NPIS) handles a high volume of calls daily, with A&E nurses making up a substantial portion of inquiries.

Area of Science:

  • Toxicology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Poisoning accounts for 2-3% of UK urban A&E attendances annually.
  • It represents approximately 7% of accidents in children under five.
  • The National Poison Information Service (NPIS) receives a large and increasing number of emergency calls daily.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the trends and sources of poisoning-related emergency calls.
  • To understand the role of A&E nurses in poison information services.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of annual call data from the National Poison Information Service (NPIS) in London.
  • Review of attendance statistics for urban Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments.

Main Results:

  • Poisoning is a significant reason for A&E visits, especially in children.
  • The NPIS experiences a sharp rise in emergency telephone inquiries.
  • A&E nurses constitute 42% of the telephone inquiries received by NPIS.

Conclusions:

  • Poisoning remains a critical public health concern requiring robust information services.
  • The NPIS plays a vital role in managing poisoning emergencies.
  • Targeted support and education for A&E nurses may be beneficial given their high inquiry rate.

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