Data Source

Health Assessment and Toxicology Program

Data Source

Environmental Surveillance and Toxicology Branch

Data Source

The Texas Poison Center Network (TPCN) is a network of six regional poison centers that provides emergency treatment information to the citizens of Texas for poisonings or toxic exposures via a 24-hour, toll-free hotline. TPCN provides help to both the lay public and health care providers. If necessary, callers may be referred to the nearest hospital to assist in the person's initial treatment and follow-up care.

Data Description

The graphs and tables show information for calls in Texas to the Texas Poison Centers about opioids. Opioid category is indicated by the following groupings of substance codes in TPCN:

• Heroin
• Commonly prescribed opioids
  • Natural analgesics such as morphine and codeine
  • Semisynthetic opioid analgesics such a oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and oxymorphone
  • Methadone
• Synthetic Opioids other than methadone such as tramadol and fentanyl

Substance information for this module was derived from unique opioid substance exposure calls to the Texas Poison Center Network (TPCN). Opioid-related exposures were identified using substance/product codes designating opioids. This module includes only those calls involving opioid exposures; calls asking for information were not included. It is not possible to determine whether an opioid was illegally produced or pharmaceutical, nor how it was obtained; for example, exposures to fentanyl include both legally prescribed and illegally produced fentanyl. Exposure calls may involve more than one type of opioid (e.g. heroin and opioid pain relievers), so users should avoid adding totals by opioid category.

Measure Information

The demographic and geographic information included in this are: caller county age group, and gender. County is from the TPCN data field "Caller County" which is the physical location of the person who calls the Poison Center. For calls from health care facilities this will be the county in which the facility is located.

For this reason, the field county is only approximation of the number of exposures that happen in the actual county. It is not necessarily where the exposure happened or where the patient lives.

Additional Information

• Texas Poison Center Network
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Opioid Overdose