Statewide Iowa (RI) — Despite the snow, it’ll soon be spring, and Iowans will need to take greater care when using a host of products inside their homes and outside in their yards to avoid accidental poisonings.
Janna Day, spokeswoman for the Iowa Poison Control Center and a licensed practical nurse, says they handled nearly 24,000 poisoning cases last year, with calls from all 99 counties. The most common call involved pain relievers, medications found in nearly every household.
Of all the calls to the toll-free number last year from Iowans, she says more than half involved children.
Day says the Sioux City-based center is offering a new communications feature on its website, iowapoison.org.
Without access to the Iowa Poison Control Center, a study found 78 percent of callers report they would have gone directly to a hospital emergency room.
By providing immediate expert assessment and follow-up care, Day says the center saves Iowans nearly $16 million in healthcare costs every year.
Contacting the hotline is free, confidential, and available around the clock at 1-800-222-1222.
KIWA Staff Photo
