Tennessee Poison Center sees more calls, hospitalizations over disinfectants amid COVID-19 – By Brinley Hineman (Nashville Tennessean) / April 24 2020
The Tennessee Poison Center has seen an increase in calls related to cleaning supply overexposure as well as a jump in people hospitalized after ingesting hydrogen peroxide as Tennesseans try to ward off the coronavirus.
Since the coronavirus hit Tennessee, health care workers at the center, housed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, have fielded more calls from people across the state who have possibly overexposed themselves to disinfectants.
Dr. Rebecca Bruccoleri, the medical director of the Tennessee Poison Center, told The Tennessean that people have phoned the center for concerns related to bleach, hand sanitizer and all purpose cleaners.
“A lot of it is just getting exposed,” Bruccoleri said. “Someone might ingest it or they might get it on their skin and be concerned about it.”
Since the coronavirus hit Tennessee, health care workers at the Tennessee Poison Center have fielded more calls from people who have possibly overexposed themselves to disinfectants. (Photo: Brynn Anderson, AP)
The surging calls are on trend with what’s being seen nationwide. Across the country, calls to poison control lines related to cleaners and disinfectants have jumped 20%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Continue to article: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2020/04/25/tennesseans-being-overexposed-disinfectants-they-ward-off-covid-19/3013177001/
