Dutch Poisons Information Centre, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2022 Oct;60(10):1145-1155. doi: 10.1080/15563650.2022.2113094. Epub 2022 Sep 21.
Public health emergencies often affect Poison Control Centre (PCC) operations. We examined possible effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on call volume, call characteristics, and workload in European PCCs.
All 65 individual European PCCs were requested to supply data on the number of calls and call characteristics (caller, age groups, reason and specific exposures) from March to June in 2018, 2019, and 2020 (Part 1). Number of calls with specific characteristics was normalised to all calls. Calls (N) and call characteristics (%) were compared between 2020 and 2018/2019 (average), within PCCs/countries and grouped. Correlation between call volume and COVID-19 cases per PCC/country was examined. All PCCs received a survey on workload (Part 2). Parts 1 and 2 were independent.
For Part 1, 36 PCCs (21 countries) supplied 26 datasheets. PCCs in the UK and in France merged data and supplied one datasheet each with national data. Summed data showed an increase of 4.5% in call volume from 228.794 in 2018/2019 (average) to 239.170 in 2020 ( < 0.001). Within PCCs/countries, calls significantly increased for 54% of PCCs/countries ( = 14/26) and decreased for 19% ( = 5/26), three of which ( = 3/5) only serve medical professionals. Correlation between call volume and COVID-19 cases was (non-significant) positive (Rho >0.7) in 5/26 PCCs/countries (19%), and negative in 6/26 (23%). Call characteristics (median proportion of grouped data in 2018/2019 vs. 2020) changed: fewer medical professionals called (40 vs. 34%, < 0.001), calls on intentional exposures decreased (20 vs. 17%, < 0.012), as did calls on patients between 13 and 17 years (5 vs. 4%, < 0.05). Calls on specific exposures increased; disinfectants from 1.9 to 5.2%, and cleaning products from 4.4 to 5.7% ( < 0.001). For Part 2, 38 PCCs (24 countries) filled the survey on workload (number/length of shifts and time on PCC duties), which increased in 23/38 PCCs (61%), while 10/38 (26%) worked with fewer employees.
Obtaining aggregated European PCC data proved challenging but showed an increase in overall call volume and workload during the first COVID-19 wave. Call characteristics changed including fewer calls from professionals and more calls on specific exposures. Within single PCCs/countries a variety of effects was observed.
公共卫生突发事件通常会影响中毒控制中心（PCC）的运作。我们研究了 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行对欧洲 PCC 呼叫量、呼叫特征和工作量可能产生的影响。
要求所有 65 个欧洲个体 PCC 提供 2018 年、2019 年和 2020 年 3 月至 6 月的呼叫次数和呼叫特征（呼叫者、年龄组、原因和特定暴露）的数据（第 1 部分）。特定特征的呼叫次数与所有呼叫次数进行归一化。比较了 2020 年与 2018/2019 年（平均值）之间的呼叫次数（N）和呼叫特征（%），并在 PCC/国家内和分组内进行了比较。还检查了呼叫量与 PCC/国家 COVID-19 病例之间的相关性。所有 PCC 都收到了一份关于工作量的调查（第 2 部分）。第 1 部分和第 2 部分是独立的。
对于第 1 部分，36 个 PCC（21 个国家）提供了 26 份数据表。英国和法国的 PCC 合并了数据，并各自提供了一份包含国家数据的数据表。汇总数据显示，呼叫量从 2018/2019 年的 228794 增加到 2020 年的 239170，增长了 4.5%（ < 0.001）。在 PCC/国家内，54%（ = 14/26）的 PCC/国家呼叫显著增加，19%（ = 5/26）的呼叫减少，其中 3 个（ = 3/5）仅为医疗专业人员提供服务。呼叫量与 COVID-19 病例之间的相关性（非显著）呈正相关（Rho >0.7），在 5/26 个 PCC/国家（19%）中为正，在 6/26 个国家（23%）中为负。呼叫特征（2018/2019 年与 2020 年分组数据的中位数比例）发生变化：呼叫的医疗专业人员减少（40 比 34%， < 0.001），有意暴露的呼叫减少（20 比 17%， < 0.012），13 至 17 岁的患者呼叫减少（5 比 4%， < 0.05）。特定暴露的呼叫增加；消毒剂从 1.9%增加到 5.2%，清洁剂从 4.4%增加到 5.7%（ < 0.001）。对于第 2 部分，38 个 PCC（24 个国家）填写了关于工作量（轮班次数和长度以及在 PCC 值班时间）的调查，其中 23/38（61%）的工作量增加，而 10/38（26%）的工作量减少了。
虽然获得汇总的欧洲 PCC 数据具有挑战性，但在 COVID-19 第一波期间，呼叫量和工作量总体上有所增加。呼叫特征发生了变化，包括专业人员的呼叫减少，特定暴露的呼叫增加。在单个 PCC/国家内，观察到各种影响。
