Thomson Reuters Helps Poison Control Centers and the CDC Monitor Toxic Exposure to Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

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May 25, 2010, 04:29 ET

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI) has provided the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) with information technology to help monitor toxic exposures related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Thomson Reuters, at the request of CDC and the AAPCC, activated a temporary code in its Poisindex® system to assist in tracking calls to poison centers regarding the oil spill. Having a separate code for this incident will assist with overall surveillance and reporting by the AAPCC and the CDC in real time.

"This is the first time that we have created a code specific to a disaster such as this. This tracking code will help us assess possible health risks associated with the oil spill," said Dr. Alvin C. Bronstein, acting director of surveillance for the AAPCC. "Having such a fast response from Thomson Reuters has positioned us to quickly respond to any outbreaks."

Thomson Reuters and the AAPCC have a longstanding relationship, as Poisindex is used in all 60 U.S. poison centers to help medical personnel manage and treat toxic exposures. The Poisindex System identifies ingredients in hundreds of thousands of commercial, biological, and pharmaceutical products and links that information to data on clinical effects, range of toxicity, and treatment protocols for exposure.

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SOURCE Thomson Reuters