Posters IV - The American Academy of Clinical Toxicology

area. Among exposures, the two most common substance categories were cosmetics and analgesics in all
groups except Pacific Islander, where foreign body was the second most common substance category.
Unintentional exposure was the most common reason and children 0-5 years age the most common age
group. This was the same amongst all races and ethnicities and consistent with national data. Of the top 25
exposures, 70% of patients were White; about 25% Black. Suspected suicide accounted for 70% of
intentional exposures amongst Blacks and 55% in Whites. Blacks represented 15% of all bites and stings
compared to 82% Whites. Of mushroom exposures, Whites accounted for 80% of the exposures followed
by Pacific Islanders at 20%. Conclusions: There was little difference in the racial and ethnic composition
of our two most common substance categories, reason for exposure, and age groups. It is feasible and
valuable to collect racial and ethnic data to further identify, address, and prevent potential disparities in
poison injuries.
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Tox Toolbox: an app for iPhone, iPad, and Android
Rais Vohra 2 , John H Trestrail III 1
1 Center for the Study of Criminal Poisoning, Los Lunas NM 2 UCSF-Fresno Medical Center, Fresno CA
Background: Tox Toolbox is a clinical toxicology software application ("app") for iPhone, iPad, and
Android smartphones. This program is designed to be used by healthcare workers and as a board-review
resource for commonly tested toxicology topics. We authored the fixed clinical contents, and in January
2011, the 1.0 version became available for online purchase and download. Four months later, a companion
version of the software was released for use on Android smartphones. Featured app contents include:
PCC call button; toxic syndrome assessment; decontamination techniques and indications; essential
management for 25 common overdoses; direct links to PCC homepages, pill identification sites, and other
websites for envenomations, plant/mushroom identification, and veterinary poisonings; and a "Tox
History Calendar," featuring notable or infamous moments from toxicology history. Detailed descriptions
and screenshots of the app can be viewed here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/toxtoolbox/id412067576?mt=8
Methods Vendor data accessed from the iTunes App Store, a division of
Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA). We collated weekly information statistics about the number of app downloads,
and their country of origin. Results There were 251 downloads to 25 countries in the first 3 months after
the app's release. Countries of download included the following (in descending order of the number of
downloads): USA, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, South Africa, New Zealand,
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Taiwan; these were collectively responsible for 241
of the total downloads. Ten other countries had one download each. Conclusions Since their inception,
poison control centers have successfully incorporated emerging communications platforms. In the current
era, app software featuring instant, handheld access to the basics of clinical toxicology management
provides new opportunities for toxicologists to connect with clinical workers as well as with the general
public. Our experience confirms that app software is a viable modality for clinical toxicology education
and outreach efforts. The distribution of these unsolicited app subscribers spanned 25 countries. These
first users, the so-called "early adopters" in the infotech nomenclature, are crucial to the emergence and
success of new media and technologies. Our data indicate that there is a broad geographic demand for
toxicology-related apps. App software promises to generate many new tools for education, outreach and
surveillance, and research. However, further analysis, user feedback, and research about this powerful new
communications tool are needed to explore the full costs, benefits, and limitations of these products.
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