Virtual Poison Center Now Available

The Poison Control Center now offers the public an online option – webPOISONCONTROL – a web-based triage tool to guide people who may have been exposed to a poisonous substance through a series of questions to determine toxicity and recommended treatment.

This digital triage poison center is the first fully automated virtual poison center and was created to make it easier for the public to access poison information. Once you pull up the site:

• The interactive tool takes you through specific exposure questions and patient details in the same way a person would on a phone call.
• Algorithms list expected minor symptoms as well as symptoms which require further or immediate medical evaluation.
• The tool will specify home treatment where appropriate, define the onset and duration of symptoms and set a risk window.

Board certified toxicology experts, each with decades of experience of experience in poison control, wrote the algorithms and recommendations behind the tool. The mobile version is an app available for both Android and iPhone and offers the added feature of product barcode scanning – which saves time for people who need fast answers and have product packaging nearby.

If you prefer to speak with an operator, the Poison Control call center is always available toll-free at 800-222-1222.

In the event of an emergency, call 9-1-1 and go to your nearest emergency room:

• Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department, Springfield, Illinois
• Decatur Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, Decatur, Illinois
• Passavant Area Hospital Emergency Department, Jacksonville, Illinois
• Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, Lincoln, Illinois
• Taylorville Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, Taylorville, Illinois