The DVR comprises a central database that will collate poisoning notifications from the seven Poison Information Centres (Giftinformationszentren, GIZ), accident insurance providers and medical staff. Currently, around 8,000 incidents are reported to the BfR each year, mainly by accident insurance providers. The GIZ report around 200,000 calls per year that are relevant for the DVR. The establishment of the central information system at the BfR has created the conditions for the planned integration and harmonisation of this data being collected by seven different systems. The registry records information on the type of substance, route of (oral, inhalation, or dermal), the severity of poisoning incidents, applied medical measures and other relevant factors. The collection of this data is carried out in accordance with clear legal requirements. The establishment of a standardised reporting system in cooperation with the GIZ and other data suppliers ensures that comparable and scientifically reliable information will be generated enabling national monitoring.
The DVR enables the BfR to identify clusters of certain types of poisoning at an early stage, carry out faster health risk assessments, issue specific recommendations, and support novel research into toxicological risks. In the long term, the DVR will form the basis for a nationwide early warning system of poisonings. The continuous monitoring of the data supports to identify risks at an early stage – for example, with respect to new products on the market, trends or seasonal patterns.
About the BfR
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). It protects people's health preventively in the fields of public health and veterinary public health. The BfR provides advice to the Federal Government as well as the Federal States (‘Laender’) on questions related to food, feed, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics closely related to its assessment tasks.