Donna Seger

The Tennessee Poison Center (TPC) is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month, following a year in which it received more than 50,000 emergency calls from residents, healthcare professionals, emergency departments and intensive care units. Read More

Button batteries are small round batteries found in items such as toys, greeting cards, watches, hearing aids, games and flashing jewelry—all products in the average American household during the holiday season. Toxicologists at the Tennessee Poison Center (TPC), housed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, say that adults need to… Read More

Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with family, friends, football and feasting. Unfortunately, it is also a day of hidden hazards. The staff at the Tennessee Poison Center (TPC), housed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, anticipates receiving about 135 to 145 poison exposure calls and five to 10 information calls… Read More

The Tennessee Poison Center, housed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, saved taxpayers of Tennessee an estimated $8 million last year by preventing unnecessary emergency department (ED) visits, according to a survey conducted by the Center. The survey asked people who phoned the Poison Center in July, “Would you have… Read More

Donna Seger, M.D., professor of Clinical Medicine and Emergency Medicine and medical and executive director of the Tennessee Poison Center, has received the Career Achievement Award from the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT) for her contributions to the organization and achievements in the field of toxicology. Read More

As summer heats up along with grills at backyard barbecues, health officials are stressing safety when using common fuels and accelerants. Read More

A lethal concoction of racing fuel and Mountain Dew claimed the lives of two Tennessee teens and has sparked the Tennessee Poison Center (TPC) to warn about the lethality of what has been called “Dewshine.” The Tennessee Poison Center, housed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was involved in the care… Read More

The leading cause of injury death in Tennessee is not motor vehicle crashes, gunshot wounds or drowning—it is poisoning. And the main source of that poisoning is not the furniture polish or drain cleaner stored under the kitchen sink (dangerous… Read More

Along with the hustle and bustle of the season come the displays of the seasonal foliage. How toxic are our holiday plants?  Donna Seger, M.D., Medical Director of the Tennessee Poison Center, housed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, offers this summary of some… Read More

Thanksgiving is a holiday filled with family, friends, football and feasting. Unfortunately, it is also a day of hidden hazards.  The staff at the Tennessee Poison Center (TPC), housed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, anticipates receiving about 135 to 145 poison… Read More

It’s the time of year when backyards attract children, trails beckon hikers, and poison ivy attacks the unwary. This itch-causing plant pest, along with its cohorts poison oak and poison sumac, cause more common allergic reactions than any other source, said Renee Miller, R.N., a… Read More

The relatively new synthetic drug 25I-NBOMe, or “N-bomb,” has been associated with the deaths of at least 17 people in the United States since 2010, when it first became available over the Internet, often marketed as “legal” or “natural” LSD. “The recreational use of synthetic (designer) psychoactive… Read More

(iStockphoto) Powdered alcohol, marketed under the name Palcohol, was recently approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for sale in the United States. It is a powder that is packaged in a 4-by-6-inch pouch, to which water can be added to produce an instant… Read More

With temperatures in the next few days predicted to be the coldest of the winter so far, people using space heaters to get some extra warmth into their homes need to be aware of a potential silent killer—carbon monoxide. Read More

Families with young children, and those who might have an occasional young visitor, should take special care during the holiday season to make sure that decorations and other signs of the season don’t pose a risk to children. One of the most important poison prevention… Read More

Vanderbilt medical toxicologists are reporting an increase in patients seen with brown recluse spider bites this summer. Read More

Donna Seger, M.D., professor of Clinical Medicine and medical director for the Tennessee Poison Center, has received a fellowship in the European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists (EAPCCT). Read More

Temperatures in the next few days are predicted to continue to be the coldest of the winter so far, and people using space heaters to get some extra warmth into their living and working spaces need to be aware of a potential “silent killer” inside… Read More

The holidays are a relaxed time for families and friends to spend time together, but before children are out of school for the holidays and tiny friends and relatives come to visit take some time to poison proof your home. One of the most important poison prevention… Read More