Belgian Poison Centre: annual overview 2020

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.