Impact of a poison control center on the length of hospital stay of poisoned patients

retrospective cohort

Authors

  • Taís Freire Galvão Getúlio Vargas University Hospital
  • Marcus Tolentino Silva Getúlio Vargas University Hospital
  • Carolina Dalene Silva Getúlio Vargas University Hospital
  • Adriana Melo Barotto Getúlio Vargas University Hospital
  • Izabela Lucchese Gavioli Getúlio Vargas University Hospital
  • Fábio Bucaretchi Getúlio Vargas University Hospital
  • Álvaro Nagib Atallah Getúlio Vargas University Hospital

Keywords:

Poison Control Centers, Length of stay, Poisoning, Hospitalization, Health services research

Abstract

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Poison control centers play an essential role in caring for poisoned patients, albeit without secure funding for their activities. The aim here was to investigate differences in length of hospital stay among poisoned patients, between those who received remote assistance from a poison control center and those who did not. DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective cohort including all poisoned patients hospitalized at an emergency service in Manaus between 2005 and 2007 was set up, and the local poison control center database was checked to see whether they received such assistance. METHODS: Patients presenting a known toxic agent, with less than 12 hours since exposure and without severe comorbidities, were selected. Their severity of poisoning was evaluated by two independent reviewers and divergences were resolved by another reviewer. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-eight patients were included. Those who received remote assistance from a poison control center stayed in hospital on average for 3.43 days less than those without poison control center assistance (95% confidence interval, CI: -6.10 to -0.77). Severity was assessed in the cases of 90 patients: there was no statistical difference in severity between the patients with and without poison control center assistance (P > 0.5). CONCLUSION: Patients with remote assistance from a poison control center had a shorter length of stay then patients without this aid. The poison control center may have reduced the length of stay of the poisoned patients.

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Author Biographies

Taís Freire Galvão, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital

Pharmacist, Amazonas Poison Control Center, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.

Marcus Tolentino Silva, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital

Pharmacist, Department of Science and Technology, Secretariat of Science and Technology and Strategic Inputs, Ministry of Health, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil.

Carolina Dalene Silva, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital

Medical student, Amazonas Poison Control Center, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital, Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.

Adriana Melo Barotto, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital

MD. Endocrinologist and clinical coordinator of Santa Catarina Poison Control Center, University Hospital, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Izabela Lucchese Gavioli, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital

MD. Rheumatologist, Rio Grande do Sul Poison Control Center, Fundação Estadual de Produção e Pesquisa em Saúde (FEPPS), State Health Department, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Fábio Bucaretchi, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital

MD, PhD. Assistant professor and coordinator of Campinas Poison Control Center, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.

Álvaro Nagib Atallah, Getúlio Vargas University Hospital

MD, MSc, PhD. Nephrologist. Director of the Brazilian Cochrane Center and titular professor of Evidence-Based Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo — Escola Paulista de Medicina (Unifesp-EPM), São Paulo, Brazil.

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Published

2011-01-01

How to Cite

1.
Galvão TF, Silva MT, Silva CD, Barotto AM, Gavioli IL, Bucaretchi F, Atallah Álvaro N. Impact of a poison control center on the length of hospital stay of poisoned patients: retrospective cohort. Sao Paulo Med J [Internet]. 2011 Jan. 1 [cited 2025 Mar. 12];129(1):23-9. Available from: https://periodicosapm.emnuvens.com.br/spmj/article/view/1558

Issue

Vol. 129 No. 1 (2011)

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Original Article

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