Physician Assistant / Associates and their Role in Diagnosing and Treating Pesticide Poisonings

PA’s play a key role in preventing and mitigating the health effects of pesticide exposures. The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by a sharp increase in the use of antimicrobial pesticides—disinfectants—as infection control measures surge. This upward trend highlighted the lack of consumer knowledge around common pesticide exposures and the potentially hazardous effects of such products deployed for disinfection purposes. It’s important that PA’s and Healthcare Providers alike are equipped to not only recognize signs of pesticide poisoning but also to help patients understand when and how they may be exposed to pesticides in everyday settings.

We need to understand the role of these in healthcare environment, agricultural and everyday and how it impacts us and our own health.