Posters IV - The American Academy of Clinical Toxicology

Background: An explosion occurred on the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon on April 20, 2010. The
release of oil that occurred in the months after the rig sank is among the largest in history, with some
estimates exceeding 200 million gallons before the well was finally capped on July 15, 2010. An oil slick
was noted at the site of the accident on April 22, touching off massive response efforts involving tens of
thousands of individuals. Discussion: Poison Control Centers were asked to participate in the early stages
of the response by the U.S. Coast Guard, the agency in charge of the Unified Command. Callers with
medical issues or medical questions about the spill were directed to call the Poison Center hotline number
for assistance. As the response grew the Poison Centers role expanded. Poison Centers provided case
information from the National Poison Data System (NPDS) to health departments in all states bordering
the Gulf of Mexico. In some gulf states the Poison Center was the single initial reporting point for medical
support issues. Frequent situation reports were provided to various agencies and individuals with key roles
in the response. These sitreps described the activities of the Poison Centers and provided up to date
information about the numbers and types of cases reported. Poison Centers were asked to participate in
multi-state planning sessions for spill related health issues. Center staff members were asked to sit on
committees and taskforces formulating response plans for issues including food and water safety as well
as air quality issues. Initially the majority of cases reported involved inhalation exposure, but as the oil
moved onto the shore dermal and ingestion exposure routes were noted as well. Poison Center staff
assisted in over one thousand exposure calls as a result of the spill and the cleanup efforts. By June
websites including deepwaterhorizonresponse.com, restorethegulf.gov, CDC.gov, EPA.gov, BP.com, and
state health department sites all listed the national poison help hotline, 1-800-222-1222, as the primary
number to call for those individuals in need of medical support or for those who had medical information
questions. Poison Centers continue to assist in the response and will do so as long as necessary. Results:
The gulf oil spill marked the most significant involvement in a large scale emergency response in Poison
Centers history. New partnerships were formed that will certainly lead to greater Poison Center utilization
in future emergency preparedness plans and responses.
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Using a Pediatric Primary Care Site to Promote Carbon Monoxide Safety in an Underserved Urban
Population
Risa Small 1 , Tamara Miller 1 , Paulette Smith 2 , Peter Palermo 2 , Fred Henretig 1 , Kevin C Osterhoudt 1
1 The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia PA 2 Philadelphia Department of Health
Background: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a preventable, yet leading cause of unintentional
poisonings in the United States. Non-fire related CO poisoning causes approximately 450 deaths and more
than 20,000 emergency room visits annually. Children aged < 5 years and minority populations are at
increased risk of CO poisoning. Currently only 12% of homes in Philadelphia County have a CO detector.
We sought to assess the feasibility of using a primary care pediatric office setting to provide an
intervention to increase CO home safety, and to assess for changes in behavior related to CO risk
following this program. Methods: As part of an "advocacy" curriculum within a pediatric residency
training program, families at an urban pediatric primary care office were recruited if they presented for a
newborn visit, reported no CO detector in their home, and were residents of Philadelphia County. Eligible
families were referred for a free home safety inspection and installation of a CO detector by the city
Department of Health. City inspectors were also trained to provide CO prevention education. A pre-and
post-inspection questionnaire was used to assess prior knowledge of CO and intention to change behaviors
to minimize subsequent CO exposure. Results: From October 1, 2010, thru April 1, 2011, 154 families
were recruited. Of the 154 families, 52 homes (50 self-describe as African-American, 2 as Hispanic) have