Alerts
Notice

Our vendor, Nuance Communications, Inc., was impacted by the Progress Software security incident which affected certain individuals’ personal information. Learn more.

Skip Navigation

Poison Control Center

Happy family in a park.

The Kansas Poison Control Center at The University of Kansas Health System serves the entire state of Kansas, including Kansas City. All calls are free and confidential. And the service is available 24/7. The Poison Helpline is 1-800-222-1222.

A poison is anything that can cause sickness or death if it gets into or on the body. Almost anything can be poisonous if it’s used the wrong way, in the wrong amount or by the wrong person. Poisons can include:

  • Medications
  • Pesticides
  • Bites and stings
  • Alcohol and illicit drugs
  • Carbon monoxide and other gases
  • Mushrooms and plants
  • Chemicals
  • Many more

If you have a question about any type of poison, call The Kansas Poison Control Center at The University of Kansas Health System. You’ll talk to an expert such as a nurse, pharmacist or medical doctor who is nationally certified in poison management.

24-hour Poison Control Center hotline: 1-800-222-1222

Patient resources

What to do in a poisoning emergency

If you think someone has been poisoned, immediately call the Kansas Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. Do not wait for the person to look or feel sick. We will advise you on correct treatment and help you determine whether you need to go to a hospital or a doctor’s office.

Have the following information ready:

  • Your name, phone number and ZIP code
  • The name, age and weight of the person exposed to poison
  • When the poison incident happened
  • Amount and type of exposure
  • How the exposure occurred
  • Name of the product and ingredients
  • Symptoms the exposed person is experiencing
  • Name of a hospital near you
  • Travel time to the nearest hospital

How can we help?

Available 24/7

Our pharmacists, nurses and poison control specialists are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can call the Poison Help line from anywhere in the state of Kansas, including Kansas City.

Poison control experts save lives

Each year, our Poison Control Center answers more than 20,000 calls in direct response to poisonings. We are 1 of only 55 certified poison centers in the United States.

We help callers determine if treatment by a physician is needed or if the situation can be managed at home. More than 7 out of 10 people who call will get the help they need right when they are calling, saving them a trip to a doctor or hospital.

Available to anyone

Anyone can be poisoned, so we are here to help. You can call the Poison Help line for free, regardless of the kind of poison, toxic exposure or question. Callers can include:

  • Babysitters
  • Daycare centers
  • Grandparents
  • Healthcare workers
  • Nursing homes
  • Parents
  • School nurses
  • Workplaces

We can help in more than 150 languages.

Contact us

You can call the Poison Help line from anywhere in the state of Kansas, including Kansas City. We're available 24/7. Call toll free 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency numbers

Mailing address

Kansas Poison Control Center at The University of Kansas Health System
4000 Cambridge Street, Mailstop 4040
Kansas City, KS 66160

Education contact

Email

poisoncenter@kumc.edu