[Medical toxicology] Introduction

Medical toxicologists specialise in diseases caused by poisons.
This is a pathology discipline.
There is significant overlap with emergency medicine and poisoning cases are often seen in paediatrics.

 

Etymology

• Latin toxicum, toxicī = poison
• Ancient Greek λογία (logia) = study

Terminology

• Poison: a substance, which can severely harm an exposed organism.
• Toxin: a poison, which is produced within a living organism.
• Venom: a toxin, which is inserted into another organism, either predator or prey, with the intention of harming the victim.

History taking

 

Physical examination

 

Blog page: Poison database

 

Common diseases:

• Paracetamol overdose 
• Opioid overdose 
• Benzodiazepine overdose 
• Ethanol poisoning
• Tricyclic antidepressant overdose
• Salicylate poisoning 
• Iron poisoning
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• MDMA poisoning
• Digoxin poisoning
• Methanol poisoning
• Ethylene glycol poisoning 
• Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor overdose