poison center

poison center,

a telephone service with toxicology experts providing emergency treatment advice for all kinds of poisonings 24 hours a day. Poison control centers also provide poison prevention information to the community and education about recognition and treatment of poison exposures for health care providers. By gathering data about the outcomes of poison exposures, they also identify new or unexpected toxic hazards, allowing for product recalls, reformulations, or repackaging. Their staffs include physicians, nurses, and pharmacists with training in toxicology. There are more than 500 poison control centers in the United States; 65 of them are officially certified and are members of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. All of these provide 24-hour service and can be reached by calling 1-800-222-1222. See the Appendix of Poison Control Centers, which lists the certified ones. Also called poison control center.