South Dakota Poison Annual Report 2022
2022 Annual Poison Report
Sanford Poison Center
The Sanford Poison Center is designated by the South Dakota Department of Health to provide emergency poison management and poison prevention information to the citizens of South Dakota. Staff provide poison prevention education and materials to the public through participation in health fairs, safety camps, conferences, symposiums, and mail distribution. Learn more at sdpoison.org.
Emergency poison management is provided to the public as well as health care professionals when they call 1-800-222-1222. Calls are accepted 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at no cost. Funding for the Sanford Poison Center is provided by Sanford USD Medical Center, in addition to funding support received
from the South Dakota Department of Health, and from federal funds as a result of the Poison Control Center Awareness and Enhancement Act passed in 2000. Someone calls poison control every 15 seconds. Poison centers save tax payers $1.8 billion every year in medical costs and lost productivity.
2022 Poison Center Highlights
- 7,120 exposure calls from South Dakota residents
- 9,595 product exposure concerns
- 96% of calls were exposure calls
- 272 informational calls, representing 3.7% of calls
- 65% of calls came from non-health care facilities
- 87% of children age 5 and under were managed from home
- For every $1 spent on poison control services, $13.39 is saved in health care costs
Age of Individuals Involved in Exposure Calls
| Age Group | 2022 Calls | 2021 Calls |
|---|---|---|
| 5 years and under | 2,701 | 2,657 |
| 6–12 years | 417 | 406 |
| 13–19 years | 869 | 957 |
| 20 years and older | 3,109 | 2,953 |
| Unknown age | 17 | 36 |
Confirmed non-exposure calls totaled 19.
Exposure Circumstances
The majority of exposures, 4,609 cases, or 65%, were unintentional. Of these, most fell into the “general” category, which is often associated with classic childhood exposures and normal curiosity.
Therapeutic errors accounted for 972 cases, or 13%, and usually involved the inadvertent misuse of a medication.
Intentional exposures accounted for 2,274 cases, or 32% of the total. Most serious outcomes and deaths arose from this group.
Medical Exposure Outcome
- No/Minor Effect: 34%
- Moderate: 11%
- Major: 2%
- Death: 0.11%
- No Follow-up, Nontoxic: 4.86%
- No Follow-up, Minimal Toxic: 42%
- No Follow-up, Potentially Toxic: 2%
- Unrelated Effect: 4%
Route of Exposure
One call may involve more than one route of exposure.
| Route | Number | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Ingestion | 6,148 | 82.14% |
| Inhalation/Nasal | 495 | 6.61% |
| Dermal | 399 | 5.33% |
| Ocular | 265 | 3.54% |
| Parenteral | 119 | 1.59% |
| Bite/Sting | 30 | 0.40% |
| Unknown/Other | 12 | 0.16% |
| Rectal | 6 | 0.08% |
| Otic | 6 | 0.08% |
| Vaginal | 3 | 0.04% |
| Aspiration | 2 | 0.03% |
| Total | 7,485 | 100% |
Top Substances Involved
Of the 9,595 substances involved in South Dakota poison exposures, the top categories included:
- Analgesics: 13%
- Antidepressants: 7.7%
- Cleaning products: 6%
- Alcohols: 6%
- Cosmetics and personal care products: 5.4%
- Sedatives, hypnotics, and antipsychotics: 5%
- Antihistamines: 5%
- Cardiovascular medications: 5%
- Stimulants and street drugs: 3.6%
- Dietary supplements, herbals, and homeopathic products: 3.4%
Why Are Kids at Risk?
Many exposures occur when substances are not stored properly. Medications or household products may be left on a kitchen counter, nightstand, or in an open purse. Children imitate adults and may try medications if they see parents or grandparents taking them. Young children may also mistake household products for drinks because they do not recognize bottle shapes or read labels.
Exposure Management Site
- 43% were managed in a health care facility: 3,047 cases
- 56% were managed on site or in a non-health care facility: 4,011 cases
- 1% were unknown or other: 62 cases
Top Counties by Total Number of Calls
The top 10 counties by total number of calls made up 64% of all South Dakota calls.
- Brookings
- Brown
- Codington
- Hughes
- Lincoln
- Meade
- Minnehaha
- Oglala Lakota
- Pennington
- Todd
2022 Toxic Exposure Calls by Hour of the Day
| Time | Calls |
|---|---|
| Midnight–1 a.m. | 214 |
| 1–2 a.m. | 146 |
| 2–3 a.m. | 140 |
| 3–4 a.m. | 105 |
| 4–5 a.m. | 107 |
| 5–6 a.m. | 71 |
| 6–7 a.m. | 93 |
| 7–8 a.m. | 152 |
| 8–9 a.m. | 193 |
| 9–10 a.m. | 279 |
| 10–11 a.m. | 377 |
| 11 a.m.–Noon | 333 |
| Noon–1 p.m. | 325 |
| 1–2 p.m. | 337 |
| 2–3 p.m. | 345 |
| 3–4 p.m. | 332 |
| 4–5 p.m. | 368 |
| 5–6 p.m. | 453 |
| 6–7 p.m. | 491 |
| 7–8 p.m. | 524 |
| 8–9 p.m. | 549 |
| 9–10 p.m. | 496 |
| 10–11 p.m. | 384 |
| 11 p.m.–Midnight | 306 |
Poison Prevention and Education
The Sanford Poison Center provides poison prevention education and materials to the public through health fairs, safety camps, conferences, symposiums, and mail distribution.
The Sanford Poison Center also utilizes volunteers in communities across the state to help with poison prevention and education at the local level.
Poison Center Support and Data
The Sanford Poison Center contracts with the Hennepin Regional Poison Center to handle calls related to exposures.
Pharmacists certified as Specialists in Poison Information by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) staff the HRPC 24/7. They supervise and are assisted by Poison Information Providers who answer calls of a less critical nature. The HRPC has met stringent criteria set forth by the AAPCC, earning the designation of Certified Regional Poison Center.
Physicians board certified in toxicology, mycology, herpetology, and pharmacology provide expertise to Poison Information Specialists on a volunteer basis.
All AAPCC Poison center members upload data to the National Poison Data System every 8 minutes, providing a near real-time snapshot of poison call conditions nationwide.
Contact the Sanford Poison Center
Sanford Poison Center
1305 W. 18th Street, Route 5679
Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5039
For educational resources, call 605-328-6670.
Fax: 605-328-6671
Website: sdpoison.org
A PDF version of this report is available for download:
2022 Sanford Poison Center Annual Poison Report
If you suspect someone has been exposed to a poison or has questions about a possible poisoning, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
Need help accessing these materials?
Some resources on this page are provided as PDF documents. If you need these materials in an alternative or accessible format, please call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or contact us—we will provide assistance.
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