Poison Center
A poison is anything that causes sickness or death if you eat it, breathe it or get it in your eyes or on your skin. The potential for danger is exponential as potential "poisons" can be found all around us in everyday household products, plants and even the air we breathe. Poisoning continues to be one of the leading cause of injury and death the United States. Each year more than 150, 000 Georgians are poisoned. When a poisoning emergency occurs all men, women, children even pets in the state are covered around the clock by the fast action response of Georgia Poison Center.
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| Georgia Poison Control Center |
Audio slide show featuring Dr. Robert J. Geller, Medical Director, Georgia Poison Control Center. |
The Georgia Poison Center is located in the Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital of the Grady Health System and operates under the supervision of Emory University School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics. A dedicated staff of highly trained professionals including physicians, toxicologists, registered nurses, registered pharmacists, educators, computer specialists and epidemiologists provide 24-hour poison emergency treatment information for the medical diagnosis and treatment of human and animal poisoning.
Operating since 1970, the Georgia Poison Center is one of 58 centers nationwide and the only one in Georgia to be certified as a Regional Poison Center by the American Association of Poison Control Centers. In 2007 the Georgia Poison Center answered more than 117, 000 calls. But the work doesn't stop there according to Robert Geller, MD associate professor of pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine and director of the Georgia Poison Center. "A number of the calls we receive require follow-up and management to properly resolve the issue."
Providing free, timely, advice and information to parents, child care providers, pharmacists, nurses, and doctors, the Center plays a significant role in reducing the cost of treatment and the severity of poisonings where time is of essence. In addition the Georgia Poison Center provides valuable outreach and educational programs aimed at increasing awareness of poison prevention and first-aid.
Grady Health System operates the Georgia Poison Center, with funding provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Georgia Department of Human Resources.
Georgia Poison Center
In a Poison Emergency
- Call 24-hours a day,
7 days a week - In Metro-Atlanta:
404-616-9000 - Outside Metro-Atlanta:
1-800-222-1222
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