life skills identify and avoid
IT’S POISON!
(or is it?)
Children's of Alabama recently launched a new
mobile app designed to identify toxic plants and
venomous and poisonous animals.
The app—entitled "Poison Perils of Alabama"—is free and can
be downloaded for both iOS and Android devices. The resource
was designed to make parents, grandparents, teachers and other
caregivers aware of the plants, snakes, insects and household
items that the Alabama Poison Information Center (APIC) at
Children's receives calls about each year. This poison hotline (1-
800-222-1222) is one of the few services at Children's that treats
adults as well as children.
"Poison Perils was designed to provide key information about
Alabama's flora, fauna and also common household items, that is
critical for parents, teachers and other caregivers to know in order
to keep children, and themselves, safe," said Dr. Ann Slattery
of the APIC. "We believe this is the first and only resource of its
kind in Alabama and think this information is critical due to the
state's amazing array of biodiversity."
The app purposely does not provide treatment recommendations,
because each exposure is unique and needs to be assessed
by calling a specialist in poison information (nurses and pharmacists)
at 1-800-222-1222. Treatment recommendations are not
one-size-fits-all and fortunately the majority of poisoning can be
observed at home after evaluation.
How it Works
Alabama has six types of venomous snakes, more than double
that number of poisonous insects and scores of toxic plants.
Additionally, poisonings from household items also result in
frequent calls to the APIC. Last year, in fact, the APIC handled
more than 50,000 calls and provided more than 60,000 follow-up
calls to assure appropriate treatment and outcomes.
Dr. Slattery said the app also serves as a hotline to dial the APIC
in an emergency—every screen has a one-touch shortcut to call
the APIC rather than dial the center's 10-digit telephone number.
Alabama has 6
types of venomous snakes,
more than 2x that number of
poisonous insects and scores
of toxic plants.
Without an identification resource like this app, she said, people
must rely on trying to describe an insect, plant, snake or
household item in question, losing precious time in the event of
an emergency.
The application was developed by MotionMobs, a custom software
consulting and development firm in Birmingham specializing
in iOS, Android, and web development. Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of Alabama, the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy
of Pediatrics and UAB, helped make this resource possible
according to Dr. Slattery.
About Children’s of Alabama
Since 1911, Children's of Alabama has provided specialized
medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient
and outpatient services throughout central Alabama. Ranked
among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S.
News & World Report, Children's provided care for youngsters
from every county in Alabama and 42 other states last year,
representing more than 684,000 outpatient visits and more
than 15,000 inpatient admissions. It is a private, not-for-profit
medical center that serves as the teaching hospital for the University
of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine,
surgery, psychiatry, research and residency programs.
26 | Fall 2020 www.potentialmagazine.com