Citation

Kopec KT, Vohra R, Santos C, Kazzi Z, Wong A. J. Med. Toxicol. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Centre for Integrated Critical Care, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s13181-019-00745-8

PMID

31898153

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Worldwide an estimated one million deaths occur annually as a result of poisoning. Internationally there is a lack of toxicology training programs, especially in resource poor settings. We developed a one-day, interactive toxicology curriculum for healthcare practitioners in countries lacking clinical toxicology training and evaluated its feasibility and effectiveness for knowledge dissemination.

METHODS: GETKIT was developed with 3 sections: didactics, hands on toxicology case lab, and technology clinic. The investigators, who are medical toxicologists,created 23 didactic lectures and 42 workshop cases. All materials were peer reviewed by 5 senior medical toxicologists for content validity. Participants atpilot sites were given pre-course, post-course, and 3-month follow-up tests and surveys.

RESULTS: GETKIT was delivered internationally at 7 sites between November 2017 and April 2018. There were 186 total participants. One hundred and ten participants (59%) reported their hospital lacked a clinical toxicology service. The median post course score 12 (60%), IQR (6,14) was significantly higher compared to the pre-course score 9 (45%), IQR (6,11) (p < 0.0001). There was a significantly higher median 3-month post course score 13 (65%), IQR (8,14) vs. a median pre course score of 9 (45%), IQR (6,11) (p 0.0005). At 3-month follow up 86% of participants reported GETKIT had changed their clinical practice.

CONCLUSIONS: An improvement in and retention of medical toxicology knowledge was demonstrated with the GETKIT course. It also conferred improvement in selfreportedpoisoning management practices in participants from low resource settings.

Language: en

Keywords

Global health; International toxicology; Toxicology education