Podcast #494: A Standard Toxicology Approach

Contributor: JP Brewer, MD Educational Pearls: Obtaining collateral is often vital to determine the potential drugs accessible to the patient - this may include After this, use ancillary sources such as EMS, family/friends, and police to determine the patient’s last normal, PMH and medications To help separate toxidromes, pupillary exam and skin exam are helpful Important physical exam clues in toxicology include the pupils and the skin  Adjunct laboratory evaluation may include liver function tests, acetaminophen level, salicylate levels, urine drug screens, particularly in unknown ingestions Your local toxicologist (if you are fortunate to have one) or the Poison Center can always provide assistance in treatment and workup - consider involving them early References Erickson TB, Thompson TM, Lu JJ. The approach to the patient with an unknown overdose. Emerg Med Clin North Am 2007; 25:249.