| Popis: |
In this chapter, we trace the origins of the poison control movement in the United States from the 1930s to the creation of the first poison control center (PCC) in Chicago in 1953 to the explosion of new centers throughout the country in the 1960s. The original motivation was rooted in concern about the high rates of poisoning and poisoning deaths among young children, especially related to incidents involving caustic household cleaners and baby aspirin. As the idea of a center of specialized information and expertise in clinical toxicology gained traction among health care professionals and public health departments in the 1960s, the growth of PCCs around the country blossomed. These new centers differed in their models of services, their accessibility to health care providers and the public, their funding, the type of health professionals running them, and the consistency and quality of their advice. Later, PCCs realized that their services went far beyond simply childhood exposures, addressing such additional emerging concerns as the toxic effects of substance abuse, suicide attempts by poisoning, occupational exposures, and poisoning among the elderly. |
