Gulf Coast Poison Centers Respond to Oil Spill

/PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 people have called Gulf region poison centers since the Deepwater Horizon oil platform caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico April 20, either to receive information or to report side effects from the resulting oil spill.

Dr. Mark Ryan, managing director of the Louisiana Poison Center, said he expects to see that number rise as the oil continues to leak and spread.

"Louisiana is a particularly difficult area to clean because the marshes are grassy with muddy bottoms that have very low oxygen content," he said. "It's not conducive to breaking oil down. We may be dealing with this for decades."

As of June 2, Gulf region centers reported a total of 45 calls reporting a poison exposure related to the spill. An additional 64 callers have contacted their poison center to seek medical information about the spill.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals are among the agencies urging those exposed to toxins related to the spill to call their local poison center for guidance, and the Louisiana center is working with the state's Center for Epidemiology and Environmental Toxicology to gauge the number of poison exposures related to the spill. "We are collaborating to obtain the most comprehensive picture of the exposures that are occurring," Ryan said.

In addition, the Gulf region poison centers are providing data to federal agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health.

Poison centers provide information about calls to the American Association of Poison Control Centers National Poison Data System. When someone calls a poison center after being exposed to an oil spill-related poison, be it skin contact with oil, inhalation of fumes, or exposure to the dispersants used to treat the spill, staff at the centers enter a "tracking code" that links the call to the oil spill. This marks the first time one code has been used to track the varied exposures and medical outcomes stemming from a disaster with potentially wide-reaching consequences.

So far, the most common symptom reported to centers has been throat irritation, followed by headaches. Other callers have reported symptoms including nausea, chest pain, dizziness and coughs. Most calls so far have involved inhalation of fumes. Poison centers in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi have received calls about poison exposures related to the spill.

"Poison centers are perfectly poised to be a go-to health care resource during a disaster," said Jim Hirt, executive director of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. "There's a reason that state and federal health agencies are relying on information from Gulf region poison centers - these centers provide an invaluable public health service."

Poison centers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Their services are free and confidential. If you have a question about medical effects of the oil spill or any other poison exposure, call your local poison center at 1(800) 222-1222.

About the American Association of Poison Control Centers: The American Association of Poison Control Centers is a non-profit, national organization founded in 1958 that represents the poison control centers of the United States, the interests of poison prevention and the treatment of poisoning.

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Headache May Linger Years Later in People Exposed to World Trade Center Dust, Fumes

/PRNewswire/ -- Workers and residents exposed to dust and fumes caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 frequently reported headache years later, according to research released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.

"We knew that headaches were common in people living and working near the World Trade Center on and immediately after 9/11, but this is the first study to look at headaches several years after the event," said study author Sara Crystal, MD, with the NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

The study involved 765 people who were enrolled in the Bellevue Hospital World Trade Center Environmental Health Center seven years after the building collapse and who did not have headaches prior to 9/11. Of those, about 55 percent reported having exposure to the initial World Trade Center dust cloud.

Headaches in the four weeks prior to enrollment were reported by 43 percent of those surveyed, suggesting that headache is a common and persistent symptom in those exposed to World Trade Center dust and fumes. People caught in the initial dust cloud were slightly more likely to report headaches than those not caught in the dust cloud, which may indicate that greater exposure may be associated with a greater risk of developing persistent headache. People with headaches were also more likely to experience wheezing, breathlessness with exercise, nasal drip or sinus congestion and reflux disease after 9/11.

"More research needs to be done on the possible longer-term effects of exposure to gasses and dust when the World Trade Center fell," Crystal said. "We also need additional studies to understand the relationship between headaches, other physical symptoms, and mental health issues."

More data will be presented by Crystal at the 62nd AAN Annual Meeting.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

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Sports Concussions: Common and Preventable

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sports and recreation related concussions impact an estimated 1.6 to 3.8 million individuals in the U.S. each year according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a blow or jolt to the head and can range from mild to severe. It is important to note that even if you do not lose consciousness after a fall, it is possible to have a concussion.

Symptoms of concussion can include headache, nausea, dizziness, and visual changes, but it is important to note they are different for every individual and are not always immediately evident. In fact, it can take days or weeks before symptoms are present. Therefore it is important to seek medical attention immediately following any type of blow to the head.

"Recovery from concussion and brain injury never really stops, so even if an injury occurred in the past, it is not too late to seek medical advice," according to Patrick Walsh, Psy.D., Marianjoy Director of Psychology and Brain Injury Program Coordinator. "It can be a very slow process and usually requires long-term rehabilitation."

March is National Brain Injury Awareness Month; this year the focus is on sports and concussions. It is important to wear protective gear -- including a helmet -- when engaging in physical activities such as snowboarding, skiing, bicycling, rollerblading or contact sports.

Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital is proud to have received full accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for its inpatient brain injury program. Its experienced staff is dedicated to improving the outcomes of patients with brain injury by addressing their physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioral challenges. The Marianjoy Brain Injury Team works with the patient to optimize the patient's life skills that are necessary to transition home and integrate back into the community.

In addition to offering an acute inpatient brain injury program, the Marianjoy Post Concussive Institute Program offers treatment for individuals experiencing physical, cognitive or emotional difficulties following a mild head injury.

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