Khan1 Nadeem Ullah, Mir Mohammed Umer, Khan Uzma Rahim, Khan Afshan Rahim, Ara Jamal, Raja Khurram, Mirza Farhat Hussain
Department of Emergency Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center, Karachi, Pakistan.
Asia Pac J Med Toxicol. 2014 Winter;3(1):31-35.
Chemical exposure is a major health problem globally. Poison control centers (PCCs) play a leading role both in developed and developing countries in the prevention and control of poisonous chemical exposures. In this study, we aimed to assess the current state of PCCs in Pakistan and highlight capacity building needs in these centers.
A cross-sectional survey of the two registered PCCs was done during August - December 2011. Necessary services of the PCCs were evaluated and the data were recorded on a predesigned checklist.
Both PCCs are affiliated to a tertiary care hospital. Clinical services to poisoned patients were available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Information on common local products was available to poison center staff. Both centers were involved in undergraduate and post graduate teaching. Telephone poison information service was not available in either of centers. There was a limited capacity for qualitative and analytical toxicology. Common antidotes were available. There were limited surveillance activities to capture toxic risks existing in the community and also a deficiency was observed in chemical disaster planning.
PCCs in Pakistan need capacity building for specialized training in toxicology, toxicovigilance, chemical disaster planning, analytical laboratory tests and telephone service for consultation in poisoning cases.
化学物质暴露是全球主要的健康问题。在发达国家和发展中国家，中毒控制中心（PCCs）在预防和控制有毒化学物质暴露方面都发挥着主导作用。在本研究中，我们旨在评估巴基斯坦中毒控制中心的现状，并突出这些中心的能力建设需求。
2011年8月至12月期间，对两个注册的中毒控制中心进行了横断面调查。对中毒控制中心的必要服务进行了评估，并将数据记录在预先设计的检查表上。
两个中毒控制中心均隶属于一家三级护理医院。每周7天、每天24小时为中毒患者提供临床服务。中毒控制中心工作人员可获取常见本地产品的信息。两个中心都参与本科和研究生教学。两个中心均未提供电话中毒信息服务。定性和分析毒理学能力有限。有常见的解毒剂。监测活动有限，无法掌握社区中存在的有毒风险，在化学灾害规划方面也存在不足。
巴基斯坦的中毒控制中心需要在毒理学、毒情监测、化学灾害规划、分析实验室检测以及中毒病例咨询电话服务方面进行专门培训的能力建设。
