ABSTRACT
Objective: This study provides an overview of the number and type of calls received by the Belgian Poison Centre (BPC) in 2020. Methods: Data of all calls to the BPC (1 January to 31 December 2020) were collected and analyzed using appropriate statistics (SAS). Results: The BPC received 65,308 calls in 2020 (60,668 in 2019, p<0.05), of which 56,106 (86%) (involving 57,523 victims) were due to an exposure, and 9,202 (14%) were an information request. Despite a minor decrease of 2.3% (21,151 in 2019 versus 20,666 in 2020, p>0.05), the vast majority (35.9%) of exposures were drug-related, of which paracetamol represented 8.2%. Drugs within the category “nervous system” (e.g. antipsychotics, antidepressants, etc.) were most frequently involved (39.6%). There were 11,836 in 2019 versus 12,247 in 2020 (p>0.05). Relating to chemical household products, in the battle against the coronavirus, people bought large quantities and often highly concentrated products, especially products for personal hygiene and cleaning. Poured into smaller containers such as water or soft drink bottles, this led to accidents in which people accidentally drank from the drink container. In an effort to improving cleaning or disinfection, people also started (accidentally) combining or mixing products, with the risk of releasing irritating vapours. Irritation of the mucous membranes and severe shortness of breath were not uncommon. The BPC received 46.1% more calls for bleach and bleach-containing products than in 2019 (835 calls in 2019 compared to 1,220 calls in 2020, p<0.05). A 12.3% increase of cosmetic- and food-related exposures was noted (8,291 in 2019 versus 9,308 in 2020, p<0.05), of which a stable number of exposures (877 in 2019 versus 876 in 2020, p>0.05) were due to essential oils. Exposures to type 1 biocides significantly increased from 322 in 2019 to 1,676 in 2020 (p<0.05), and exposures to type 2 biocides from 406 to 902 (p<0.05). Finally, a 28.2% increase in exposures related to the group “plants, mushrooms and animals” was observed, with 3,256 in 2019 and 4,175 in 2020 (p<0.05). Conclusion: In its history, the BPC has never received as many calls as in 2020, demonstrating its added value in today's and future healthcare. Trends in both, number and type of exposures were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The present study provides an overview of the number and type of calls to the Belgian Poison Centre (BPC), and the impact of COVID-19. Methods: Data of all calls to the BPC (1 January - 31 December 2020) were collected and analysed using appropriate statistics (SAS). Results: The BPC received 65,308 calls in 2020 (60,668 in 2019, p<0.05). The vast majority (35.9%) of exposures were drugrelated (21,151 in 2019 versus 20,666 in 2020, p>0.05), followed by the use of chemical household products (11,836 in 2019 versus 12,247 in 2020 (p>0.05)). A 12.3% increase in the number of cosmetic- and food-related exposures was noted (8,291 in 2019 versus 9,308 in 2020, p<0.05). Within this group, a stable number of exposures (877 in 2019 versus 876 in 2020, p>0.05) due to essential oil exposures were observed. Partly due to the impact of the COVID-19 [1] pandemic, exposures to biocides doubled (104.9%) from 1,964 in 2019 to 4,024 in 2020 (p<0.05). Exposures to type 1 biocides (i.e. human hygiene products, which include alcohol-based hand sanitisers (ABHS)) significantly increased from 322 in 2019 to 1,676 in 2020 (p<0.05), and exposures to type 2 biocides (i.e. disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals) from 406 to 902 (p<0.05). In 2020 the BPC received a five-fold increase in the number of calls involving ABHS incidents (both liquid and gel-based, as well as ethanol and isopropanol products) compared to 2019 (1,676 versus 323 in 2019 versus 1,676 in 2020 calls, p<0.05), accounting for 2.6% of all calls in 2020. In 71% of exposures, ingestion was the primary route (1,195/1,676), followed by 28.6% accidental ocular exposures (480/1,676) of which more than half of the incidents involved children (257/480, p<0.05), primarily young children aged 1-4 years (136/257, p<0.05). Finally, as people went into the garden and nature to relax during lockdown, a 28.2% increase in exposures related to the group 'plants, mushrooms and animals' was found, with 3,256 exposures in 2019 and 4,175 in 2020 (p<0.05). Conclusion: In its history, the BPC has never received as many calls as in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a significant number of additional exposures, and requests for toxicologic advice.