Purpose: The Korea University Anam Hospital Seoul Poison Control Center (Seoul PCC) has provided counseling services and poisoning prevention projects for the public and medical professionals since January 2022. This report summarizes the center’s performance and consultation data for 2023.
Methods The Seoul PCC operates a helpline (1855-2221) on weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM, along with chat and chatbot services via KakaoTalk, 1:1 online counseling through its website, and public engagement through social media. Data collected from January to December 2023 were analyzed in terms of case frequency, age, gender, location, reason for exposure, and substance type. Consultation requests from the general public were summarized, and information snapshots were utilized to present information on poisoning-related consultations.
Results In 2023, the center handled 1,231 consultations, including 1,193 post-exposure and 38 non-exposure cases. Among post-exposure cases, 724 were from Seoul, 429 were from other areas, and 78 were from unspecified locations. Requests originated from the public (30.1%, n=359) and medical staff (69.9%, n=834). Frequently reported substances included medications (61.4%), common household products (13.5%), other household items (6.3%), synthetic toxicants (5.7%), and food (3.9%). Children under 12 accounted for 159 cases (13.3%), with exposures to common household products (45.9%), medications (27.7%), food (10.7%), and stationery/toys (11.5%).
Conclusion From 2022 to 2023, consultations increased by 113.0%, with child exposures rising 82.7%. Medications remained the most common form of exposure across all ages, while common household products were the leading cause among children under 12. Most exposures were unintentional and occurred at home. In addition, most consultations concluded without a visit to a medical institution.
Purpose: The Korea University Anam Hospital Seoul Poison Control Center (SeoulPCC) was established in accordance with Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance No. 7524 “Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Prevention of Toxic Substances Poisoning and Accident Safety.” Herein, the center’s annual performance in terms of project results and consultation information for 2022 are reported.
Methods SeoulPCC operates a helpline (Help Call, 1855-2221) that the general public can use from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, as well as chatting and chatbot counseling through KakaoTalk’s “Seoul Poison Control Center,” and one-on-one online counseling through the website. Additionally, it has constructed a system for communicating with the general public through social media. Poisoning disease information collected from SeoulPCC from January to December 2022 was analyzed according to the number of requests, age of exposure, gender, location, and reason. Requests from the general public were summarized, and a brief image presenting information on poisoning disease-related consultations was produced.
Results SeoulPCC has a database containing information on 188,065 toxic substances collected by public institutions and provides this information to the general public and medical staff through its website. In 2022, consultations were performed through phone calls and SNS (social networking service) for 577 cases of poison information and first aid treatment due to exposure to toxic substances. There were 1,431 instances of providing poison information services. The annual requests included 512 exposure cases and 65 non-exposure cases. Furthermore, 366 cases were in Seoul, 145 cases were outside of Seoul, and 66 had an unknown location. The exposure cases included 161 requests from the general public and 351 requests from medical staff.
Conclusion This is the first annual report in Korea to analyze the occurrence of poisoning based on consultations. It is of major significance that this report serves as a starting point for identifying and tracking the aspects and characteristics of poisoning cases in the pre-hospital stage. In the future, poisoning-related disease information provided through consultations and at the emergency room should be linked, and through real-time collection and analysis, this information should be used as basic data for poisoning disease management policies.
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