K Pyper1, M Eddleston2,3, D N Bateman2, D Lupton3, S Bradberry4, E Sandilands3, Shl Thomas5, J P Thompson6, C Robertson1,7. 1. 1 Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. 2. 2 Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 3. 3 National Poisons Information Service (Edinburgh Unit), Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. 4. 4 National Poisons Information Service (Birmingham Unit), City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. 5. 5 National Poisons Information Service (Newcastle Unit), Wolfson Unit, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. 6. 6 National Poisons Information Service (Cardiff Unit), University Hospital Llandough, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, UK. 7. 7 Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow, UK.
Abstract
AIM: To examine temporal trends in accesses to the UK's National Poison Information Service's TOXBASE database in Britain. METHODS: Generalized additive models were used to examine trends in daily numbers of accesses to TOXBASE from British emergency departments between January 2008 and December 2015. Day-of-the-week, seasonality and long-term trends were analysed at national and regional levels (Wales, Scotland and the nine English Government Office Regions). RESULTS: The long-term trend in daily accesses increases from 2.8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.6-3.0) per user on 1 January 2008 to 4.6 (95% CI: 4.3-4.9) on 31 December 2015, with small but significant differences in population-corrected accesses by region ( p < 0.001). There are statistically significant seasonal and day of the week patterns ( p < 0.001) across all regions. Accesses are 18% (95% CI: 14-22%) higher in summer than in January and at the weekend compared to weekdays in all regions; there is a 7.5% (95% CI: 6.1-8.9%) increase between Friday and Sunday. CONCLUSIONS: There are consistent in-year patterns in access to TOXBASE indicating potential seasonal patterns in poisonings in Britain, with location-dependent rates of usage. This novel descriptive work lays the basis for future work on the interaction of TOXBASE use with emergency admission of patients into hospital.
AIM: To examine temporal trends in accesses to the UK's National Poison Information Service's TOXBASE database in Britain. METHODS: Generalized additive models were used to examine trends in daily numbers of accesses to TOXBASE from British emergency departments between January 2008 and December 2015. Day-of-the-week, seasonality and long-term trends were analysed at national and regional levels (Wales, Scotland and the nine English Government Office Regions). RESULTS: The long-term trend in daily accesses increases from 2.8 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.6-3.0) per user on 1 January 2008 to 4.6 (95% CI: 4.3-4.9) on 31 December 2015, with small but significant differences in population-corrected accesses by region ( p < 0.001). There are statistically significant seasonal and day of the week patterns ( p < 0.001) across all regions. Accesses are 18% (95% CI: 14-22%) higher in summer than in January and at the weekend compared to weekdays in all regions; there is a 7.5% (95% CI: 6.1-8.9%) increase between Friday and Sunday. CONCLUSIONS: There are consistent in-year patterns in access to TOXBASE indicating potential seasonal patterns in poisonings in Britain, with location-dependent rates of usage. This novel descriptive work lays the basis for future work on the interaction of TOXBASE use with emergency admission of patients into hospital.
Entities:
Keywords:
Poisons information; epidemiology; regional variation; seasonality; time trends