Role of poison centers in emergency health care, preparedness, and response. Policy statement.

摘要

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) strongly supports the availability of high-quality, fully funded, certified poison centers to provide:Triage and management of poisoning calls from the public, saving medical expenditures for unnecessary health care visits while referring patients appropriately when medical evaluation is needed, as well as mitigating overcrowding of/ emergency departments.Consultation to physicians and other health care providers in the diagnosis and management of poisoning cases. Preparedness and response services to emergency responders, health care providers, public health officials, and the public during pandemics, public health emergencies and other hazards events, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents.Data surveillance to detect and monitor disease outbreaks and epidemiological trends.