The Berlin poison emergency take requests

Berlin poison emergency call: inquiries are increasing

04/27/2014

At the Berlin poison emergency call at the Charité, the requests are increasing. Around 44,000 people sought help there last year. Most of the calls are about toddlers who have inadvertently drunk or swallowed things that could be dangerous.

Two-thirds of the calls for small children
The „Poison emergency call Berlin“ at the Charité is becoming increasingly popular. Around 44,000 people sought help there last year. This is about 4,000 more than in 2008, as the doctor and acting head of the emergency call, Daniela Acquarone, announced. The need for advice is constantly increasing. Two-thirds of the calls would be about toddlers. These would often inadvertently have consumed household chemicals such as dishwashing detergents. Concerned calls because children swallowed medications come second. In addition, there are many demands, because children have found berries outside and put in the mouth.

Many calls also in the mushroom season
During the mushroom season, the emergency call is also overwhelmed with requests from mushroom pickers. Although there have been no deaths in recent years, there are always inexperienced collectors who complain to the professionals about abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. As Daniela Acquarone announced last year, there are on average about 400 requests each season. At that time she meant: „Many people who collect mushrooms are not really mushroom-aware, so there is a risk of confusion.“

Available around the clock every day
The Berlin Poison Emergency Call is available on the phone at (030) 19240 24/7 for emergency telephone counseling. And not just for people from Berlin and Brandburg. Around two-thirds of the calls come from outside the two federal states. Help can also be provided by an app that was presented last year by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Among other things, it provides information on symptoms of poisoning and emergency aid, as well as tips on how to prevent poisoning accidents right from the start. (Ad)

Photo credits: Image: Sabine Menge