Pesticide-related illness: Are poison centers reporting to the state health department?

Pesticide-related illness should be reported by physicians to state health departments. Since poison centers (PC) are involved in the management of many of these cases, it may be assumed that they should report these cases. A 5-y audit of pesticide related illness reported to a centralized state pesticide oversight agency (PARC) was conducted. During the 5-y period the PC received 5,828 calls involving exposures to reportable pesticides; 1,011 of these were for organophosphates. Eight organophosphates cases were treated with antidotes, but only 2 were reported as a pesticide-related illness. During this same time PARC reviewed 540 cases of persons suspected of being exposed to pesticides. The largest percent of referrals (19.6%) came from the PC, however only 1% of all PC pesticide exposure cases were reported as pesticide-related illnesses.