Toxicology in a Combat Support Hospital
In observance of Veteran’s Day (11/11) we invite you to take a journey into the life of one soldier’s remarkable experience while deployed overseas in Mosul, Iraq. Shortly after finishing my fellowship...
View ArticleHypothermia and Frostbite: Know The Cold Facts
So it seems we find ourselves coming upon the dead of winter-the holidays are over and spring seems light years away. You may recall in August we posted a piece entitled “Hot Summer Days and...
View ArticlePenny Wise and Pound Foolish
A decision to cut federal poison center funding is penny wise and pound foolish… “Penny-wise and Pound Foolish” refers to unwise thrift, “like the man who lost his horse from his penny wisdom in saving...
View ArticleIPC: Providing Toxicology Consults in Illinois
Cardiologist: a specialist in the structure and function and disorders of the heart Neurologist: a medical specialist in the nervous system and the disorders affecting it Nephrologist: a physician...
View ArticleAnswering the call in a public health emergency
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Mr. Yuk and the limitation of the symbol. Poison centers embrace their traditional service in helping mothers and other care givers care their little loved ones when...
View ArticleWhere’s the Antidote?!
Antidotes are sexy. We see it in James Bond and Indiana Jones movies: the hero has been slipped a lethal poison (usually, while he is wearing a tuxedo) and just in the nick of time swallows a vial of...
View ArticleWhen Seconds Feel Like Hours…What Will You Do?
What would you do if you contacted the poison center during an emergency and your call went unanswered for minutes… if not longer? Here are some real life cases, that offer just a tiny sample of the...
View ArticleMuch To Be Thankful For…
The Illinois Poison Center has much to be thankful for. The IPC is very grateful for the support that readers of our blog, Facebook page members, educators, volunteers, Twitter followers, students,...
View ArticleCalling the IPC? Here’s What You Can Expect…
Over 70,000 Illinois residents call the IPC from home, work or other location every year for help regarding a potentially harmful substance. However if you’ve never called our poison center, you may be...
View ArticleSeniors Are at Risk for Poisoning, Too!
The following post was contributed by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. If you are a senior adult, you may think that poison centers and poison prevention are mainly for kids. But...
View ArticleTeaching, Treating, and Problem Solving Poisonings
…A Unique Medical Partnership: Toxikon and the Illinois Poison Center What happens if: Someone is stung by a lionfish? Eats a poisonous mushroom in the forest preserve? Drinks a Lava Lamp? Swallows too...
View ArticleSex, drugs and the Illinois Poison Center
It is my turn to write the blog and for the past few days, colleagues have been after me to write something kind of sexy, but with a poisoning angle. The problem is that now that I have qualified to...
View ArticleMeet the Illinois Poison Center Experts!
Calling the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) during an emergency can be a very stressful experience. As a parent calling about your child, your only concern is your child’s well-being; as a nurse or...
View ArticleDon’t Make Me Puke!!
Why you should never ever induce vomiting The first 5 years I worked at the IPC, I was a CSPI and answered calls from the general public and health care professionals. I would always joke with my...
View Article“Your Call Is Important To Us…”
We are currently busy with other callers and will be with you shortly . . . I really hate our new phone hold message . . . and so do those who use our services . . . but we had to make the change to...
View ArticleChanging attitudes on marijuana: A pictorial journey from the 1600’s to today
Hemp, used to make sails, clothing and rope, was a staple agricultural product in America from the 1600s to the early 1900s. Marijuana or cannabis (e.g. flowers and leaves of female hemp plant) is a...
View ArticleLose Harmful Bacteria—Not Your Appetite—This Holiday Season
‘Tis the season for family, friends, fun, and . . . food poisoning (ewww). For some unfortunate merrymakers, holiday feasts will start in the dining room and end in the bathroom. In fact, the Centers...
View ArticleUh Oh! I shouldn’t have put that . . . in my mouth (part 3). . . Pediatric...
After a long winter and a rainy spring, summertime in Illinois is great time of year. Picnics, BBQ, hiking, festivals and lots of outdoor fun with friends and family make the Prairie State the place...
View ArticleCannabis 101: Vaping
I was going to title this “Vaping THC for Dummies,” but I thought it may be offensive to some and instructional to others. Frankly, until people started getting sick from what the Centers for Disease...
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