University Medical Center Foundation

West Texas Regional Poison Center Fund

Poison Help Line 800-222-1222

They are the situations none of us want to think about...the two-year-old found with open cleaning products...the teenager who overdosed...the elderly parent who has confused their medications...the spouse who mixes household cleaners and can't stop coughing...but these are the situations West Texas Regional Poison Control Center deals with every day.

If you even suspect that someone has been poisoned, call the Poison Help line 1-800-222-1222 first!  If the person you are helping is unconscious, call 911. 

Emergency poisoning treatment advice is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in English and Spanish.  The calls are confidential, and the service is provided free to the public.               

Your poison center saves lives.

In 2007, 2.5 million people were exposed to poisons.1.3 million children under 6 were exposed to poison in 2007  More than 50% of all poison exposures occurred in children under the age of five.  On the average,  poison control centers handle one poison exposure every eight seconds.  Most poisoning exposures are unintentional. 

Your poison center reduces health care costs.

Eight out of ten people who call the Poison Center are safely treated  over the telephone at home without having to go to a doctor or a hospital.  Yet less than half of all families call a poison center when a child or other family member is poisoned.

Your poison control center prevents poisonings.

The first fully bi-lingual in English/Spanish poison center in the United States, West Texas Regional Poison Center provides the people of West Texas with state-of-the-art poison prevention, assessment, and treatment.  One of 60 regional poison centers in the United State certified by the American Association of Poison Control Centers, WTPRC handles more than 61,000 poison exposure calls annually. Bilingual pharmacists and nurses who are specially trained and certified in poisoning treatment staff the 24-hour Poison Center, supervised by a Board Certified Medical Toxicologist. 

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