CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Poison control centers play an essential role in caring for poisoned patients, albeit without secure funding for their activities.The aim here was to investigate differences in length of hospital stay among poisoned patients, between those who received remote assistance from a poison control center and those who did not. DESIGN AND SETTING:A retrospective cohort including all poisoned patients hospitalized at an emergency service in Manaus between 2005 and 2007 was set up, and the local poison control center database was checked to see whether they received such assistance. METHODS:Patients presenting a known toxic agent, with less than 12 hours since exposure and without severe comorbidities, were selected. Their severity of poisoning was evaluated by two independent reviewers and divergences were resolved by another reviewer. RESULTS:One hundred and ninety-eight patients were included. Those who received remote assistance from a poison control center stayed in hospital on average for 3.43 days less than those without poison control center assistance (95% confidence interval, CI: -6.10 to -0.77). Severity was assessed in the cases of 90 patients: there was no statistical difference in severity between the patients with and without poison control center assistance (P > 0.5). MÉTODOS:Foram selecionados pacientes com agente tóxico conhecido, tempo de exposição inferior a 12 horas e sem comorbidades graves para avaliação da gravidade por dois revisores independentes e divergências resolvidas por outro revisor. RESULTADOS:Foram incluídos 198 pacientes; aqueles com auxílio remoto do centro de informações toxicológicas ficaram em média 3,43 dias a menos (-6,10 a -0,77 IC 95%) internados quando comparados a nenhum auxílio do centro de informações toxicológicas (CIT). Noventa pacientes tiveram gravidade avaliada; não houve diferença estatística na gravidade entre os pacientes com ou sem assistência do CIT (P > 0,5).CONCLUSÃO: Pacientes com assistência remota do CIT tiveram tempo de internação inferior a pacientes sem este auxílio. O CIT pode ter reduzido o tempo de internação dos pacientes intoxicados.
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