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Poison Control Center

Description

The EPA Water Security initiative contamination warning system detection strategy involves the use of multiple monitoring and surveillance components for timely detection of drinking water contamination in the distribution system. The public health surveillance (PHS) component of the contamination warning system involves the analysis of health-related data to identify disease events that may stem from drinking water contamination. Public health data include hospital admission reports, infectious disease surveillance, emergency medical service reports, 911 calls and poison control center calls. Automated analysis of these data streams results in alerts, which are investigated by health department epidemiologists. A comprehensive operational strategy was developed to describe the processes and procedures involved in the the initial investigation and validation of a PHS alert. The operational strategy established specific roles and responsibilities, and detailed procedural flow descriptions. The procedural flow concluded with the determination of whether or not an alert generated from surveillance of public health data streams is indicative of a possible water contamination incident.

 

Objective

To develop standard operating procedures to identify or rule out possible water contamination as a cause for a syndromic surveillance alarm.

Submitted by hparton on
Description

On September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida. Over 90% of Florida counties reported power outages as of September 11. During power outages, CO poisonings often occur due to indoor use of fuel combustion sources (e.g., cooking, heating) or generators for electricity. CO poisoning is a reportable condition in Florida; health care providers and laboratories are required to report suspected cases to the Florida Department of Health (FDOH). In Florida, approximately 202 cases of CO poisoning are reported each year (three-year average from 2014 to 2016). In addition to passive surveillance, FDOH uses the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE-FL) to find cases of CO poisoning. ESSENCE-FL provides access to ED data from 98% (255 out of 260) of EDs in Florida and all statewide FPICN call data (includes three poison control centers). ESSENCE-FL provides near real-time access to these data sets, as ED data are uploaded every 2 hours or once a day (depending on the hospital system) and FPICN data are uploaded every 10 minutes. The statewide FPICN database includes information about substance, signs and symptoms, exposure scenario, and patient identification information provided by the individual caller or clinician from a health care facility.

Objective: This study describes how Florida Poison Information Center Network (FPICN) and emergency department (ED) data accessed through Florida's syndromic surveillance system were used to conduct near real-time carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning surveillance and active case finding in response to Hurricane Irma in Florida..

Submitted by elamb on