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CHARLESTON, WV - Potential poisons are everywhere and could cause serious harm to you or your loved ones. If the West Virginia Poison Center no longer existed, who would you call? How would you seek help? Who would be watching out for new poisoning trends in our state? Who would be teaching health care professionals about how to treat people who have been poisoned? Who would know where the antidotes were in our state? Who would be making sure poison prevention programs existed?
Carissa McBurney, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Poison Control Center has expressed concern that the legislative funding cuts will result in its closure.
McBurney continues by asking:
What would you do if your child ate a laundry detergent pod? If your teenager began abusing medications? If your elderly parent took too much of their medicine by mistake? If your co-worker had a chemical spilled on them at work? If a boy scout or girl scout gets bitten by a poisonous snake? If you were pregnant and were overcome by carbon monoxide fumes?
What would happen if there was another chemical spill here? There are lots of chemicals being transported on our interstates, highways, roads, and waterways. If there was an accident, who would have all of the toxicology databases at their fingertips with the staff that knows exactly how to use those databases and the information in them to help make medical decisions?
The West Virginia Poison Center is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by medical experts (doctors, pharmacists, and nurses) specially trained in poisonings. The center handles over 42,000 calls from West Virginians each year. However, the West Virginia Poison Center is not simply for people calling from home. About 35% of calls to the Center are from medical professionals; for example, those in emergency rooms and pediatricians. They also call the Poison Center to obtain the most up-to-date poison management recommendations.
If the West Virginia Poison Center were to close, West Virginia would be the only state in the nation without poison center coverage. A local mom and daycare employee, Crystal Wood, said, "I am scared of what will happen if West Virginia does not have a poison center." The West Virginia Poison Center is vital to the public's safety. The West Virginia Poison Center saves lives. You never know when you may need the West Virginia Poison Center.
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