Emergency Department Poisoning Visits in Children Younger Than 6 Years Comparing Referrals by a Regional Poison Control Center to Referrals by Other Sources

Objective: The study purpose was to compare medical appropriateness and costs of regional poison control center (RPCC) versus non-RPCC referrals to children's hospital emergency department (ED) for acute poison exposure. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of children (<6 years) during an 8-month period, who presented for poison exposure. Demographic and clinical patient characteristics were abstracted onto a uniform data form. Medical appropriateness was determined by presence of 1 of 4 criteria by 3 independent reviewers blinded to the patients' race, source of referral, charges, and disposition. Results: Determination of medical appropriateness was matched by all 3 reviewers in 187 patients who make up the study population. There were 92 RPCC-referred cases and 95 non-RPCC-referred controls. Groups were comparable by age, sex, toxin, and symptoms. For RPCC referrals, 84 were self-transported, and 8 were transported by emergency medical services. For non-RPCC referrals, 60 were self-referred/transported, 26 were transported by emergency medical services, and 9 were physician referred. Regional poison control center referrals had a 39.1% higher rate of medical appropriateness than did non-RPCC referrals (odds ratio, 13.0; 95% confidence interval, 3.6-36.1). For this sample, mean charges for inappropriate ED poison exposure visits were $313.42, and the cost per RPCC call was $25, thus giving a potential return on investment of 12.54 to 1 favoring RPCC triage. Conclusions: When compared with other referral sources, RPCC triage results in fewer unnecessary ED visits in this age group. Increasing pre-hospital use of poison centers would likely decrease unnecessary ED referrals and related costs.