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Bronstein A

Description

NPDS is the only source for national surveillance data regarding human exposures to hazardous substances and their health effects. It is a near real-time surveillance system operated by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) in cooperation with CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health. The system receives, analyzes, and displays data from 60 regional Poison Centers (PCs). On 20 April 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, causing oil to be continuously spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. In response, AAPCC created a code that was sent to all 60 PCs, allowing the centers to identify and properly code all calls associated with the oil spill at the local level. This enabled CDC to track all spill-related exposure and information calls.

Objective

The objective of this study was to describe how National Poison Data System (NPDS) was used for surveillance of human health effects associated with crude oil and dispersant exposures during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

Submitted by Magou on