Abstract

In this report the Dutch National Poison Control Centre (Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum, NVIC) gives a review of the nature of calls for information about intoxications and their frequency in the Netherlands in the period 1985 - 1989. The NVIC is the only poison control centre in the Netherlands and serves a population of 14 million people. Information about intoxications is given to physicians, veterinatrians, pharmacists and certain governmental agencies but in general not to private persons. A trend is given in calls for information by general practitioners and medical doctors. Attention is also paid to the fact that more and more private persons call the NVIC for all kinds of information about toxic substances. Drugs by far are the most common type of poison. Poisoning from cleaning substances, plants and pesticides occur with noticeable frequency. In this report one will find information about fatal human intoxications, and the substance(s) which was (were) presumably responsible for this (these) intoxication(s). This report gives an inventarisation.