Epidemiology

Every 8 seconds, a Poison Center in the United States receives a call regarding a potential poisoning.  The Texas Poison Center Network receives an incoming call every 1.4 minutes.  The West Texas Regional Poison Center (WTRPC) receives thousands of calls every month with 8 out of every 10 exposures being handled at home under the direct supervision of our nurses, pharmacists, and physicians Certified Specialists in Poison Information.  Our Poison Center also provides follow-up calls for the majority of the cases involving a potentially toxic substance to ensure that the directions were followed and to ensure that there have not been any changes in the patient’s condition.  Below are the WTRPC’s call statistics for the past 5 years.

WTRPC Call Types 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
Total Incoming Calls 31,340 35,940 35,770 27,667 26,395
Human Exposures 18,844 21,923 23,026 18,425 16,767
Animal Exposures 574 719 803 700 775
Follow-Ups 35,272 25,016 22,273 19,218 19,878
Information Calls 11,922 13,298 11,941 8,542 8,853
Total Calls Documented 66,612 60,956 58,043 46,885 46,273
Cost Savings 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
EMS Total Calls 589 569 670 532 567
EMS No Rolls 226 277 401 344 380
EMS Roll NO Transport 124 31 * * *
Percent No Roll & No Transport
 59.42% 54.13% 59.85% 64.66% 67.02%
EMS Roll AND Transport 239 26 269 188 187
Total EMS Savings $813,000 $754,500 $1,002,500 $860,000 $950,000
Calls Managed at Home 13,890 16,032 17,071 13,461 12,437
Percentage Managed at Home
 73.71% 73.13% 74.14% 73.06% 74.18%
Stay at Home Savings $3,403,050 $3,927,840 $4,182,395 $3,297,945 $3,047,065
Total Healthcare Cost Savings $4,216,050 $4,682,340 $5,184,895 $4,157,945 $3,997,065

* No information available (not tracked at the time)