This information will determine the toxicity of the case. Using that information, the staff person will make treatment recommendations. Each full-time staff person handles about 5,000 poisoning cases each year. They know, very quickly, if your case involves only a mild exposure or if it is potentially life threatening. Poison Center calls, like medical records, are kept confidential.
Information regarding the call is entered into a computer database.
This provides general information for national statistics regarding age and sex of the victim, name of product, treatment and the zip code where the call originated. Callbacks are made to determine the outcome. Outcome information is provided to agencies that regulate consumer safety issues. No personal or confidential patient information, such as your name or phone number, is ever provided to the national database. Helping callers is the main concern of the Poison Center staff.