The 43rd Congress of the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists, Palma, Mallorca 23–26 May 2023
The European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists (EAPCCT) congress was recently held in Palma, Mallorca. The Welsh National Poisons Unit (WNPU) was represented by a number of staff at the congress, two of whom gave oral presentations on inadvertent instillation of electronic cigarette liquid into the eyes, and on sodium nitrite as an emerging public health concern in the UK. Additionally, the WNPU also presented four posters, covering:
- a retrospective study of serotonin syndrome enquiries,
- a case report of potential fluoxetine toxicity in a neonate,
- a review of accidental poisonings in under 10s during the COVID-19 pandemic, and
- a retrospective review of therapeutic errors involving oral prednisolone therapy.
Both the oral and poster presentations made by the WNPU generated a great deal of attention from other delegates, leading to valuable discussions and networking opportunities.
Overall, the congress was attended by many clinical toxicologists and scientists from across Europe, as well as from Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Canada, Chile, Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan and the USA. The programme was rich and varied, including coverage of topics such as the toxicological aspects of chemical warfare, the monitoring of novel psychoactive substances, and organ transplantation from intoxicated donors. Presentations also examined areas of clinical toxicology such as antidotal strategies for new toxins, the toxicity of nitrous oxide and GHB, a novel scoring system predicting the need for intensive care unit admission, and various aspects of marine toxicology.
All who attended from the WNPU benefitted greatly from the opportunity to network with the international toxicology community, and came away with a greater appreciation of the varied field of clinical toxicology. As a result, staff grew in their professional knowledge and understanding of clinical toxicology, thus better enabling them to carry out the valuable work of the National Poisons Information Service in Wales and across the UK.
Further information about the 43rd International Congress of the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists Congress can be found here.