Congress plans to cut 90% of funding from poison control centers

[ck4829]

Anne Henson is one of the thousands of Miami Valley residents assisted last year by the Central Ohio Poison Center, which stands to lose as much as $408,000, almost one-third of its funding, if the spending bill approved the U.S. House last month passes in its current form.

Henson said it concerns her that some or possibly all of the poison control centers across the country may have to close because of a loss of funding.

About 90 percent of the exposure calls to the local poison center hot line from people at home do not necessitate hospital treatment, Baker said.

Nationwide, about 75 percent of exposure calls to poison control centers do not require a hospital visit.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/poison-control-hot-line-cuts-visits-to-er-advocates-say-1096908.html

"We don't need poison control!"

Without these centers, people will go to the ER for something they don't need to go for and it will cost them money for a service they don't need. But more importantly, behind these people will be a line of people who actually do need treated. People will die.

Call your representative up, this is one cut that makes no sense because the poison control centers seems to be several times more efficient than, say, the Pentagon and they only do it with a microscopic fraction of the budget that the Pentagon has, and you don't see any cuts for them being discussed, now do you? But, more importantly, emergency rooms all around the country will fill with people who don't need treatment and it will jeopardize lives.

[PA Democrat]

1. But billionaires NEED those tax cuts!

This infuriates me. Even stupid teabaggers may have a need of that hotline. I remember when my kids were young, I had the number to the poison control center's hotline next to my phone with all of my other emergency numbers.

[indepat]

2. Those who support such cuts do not care a whit how many will die as a direct result of their actions

:patriot:

[roguevalley]

3. we can only hope its them. or their mistresses.

[tblue37]

4. Please read the thread I posted last night about this issue.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x621499

It includes a desperate message my daughter (an ER doctor) sent to me, along with a link to a page where you can send a letter to protest the cuts.

When I emailed her to tell her DU was on the case (that thread has 40 recs and ~16,000 reads), she wrote this back (emphasis added):

Thank goodness!

I am so glad so many people see this as as big of an issue as I did. I can't believe our government can be this stupid - I cant tell you how many times we've called poison control in my (very short) career. They help the doctors as often as they help anyone else - no one is able to keep all that information in our heads, so they have this huge database of information on antidotes, treatment modalities, recommended treatment levels, etc., and they are incredibly fast at getting their hands on it. Within less time than it takes to actually call them, they are able to give any amount of info we need. Plus, I can't follow every patient that comes in. I usually lose track of them as soon as they leave the ED, but poison control will call ME back and let me know how effective my treatment was, because they DO keep track of everyone they are called on.

Such a valuable resource, I cant imagine losing it. It's beyond ridiculous!

[fascisthunter]

5. so if something happens we all die for the rich so they can have tax breaks