| Abstrakt: |
Poisoning is commonly encountered in acute medical practice and can involve toxicity arising from exposure to any one of a large number of different drugs or chemicals. Clinical toxidromes can help to define particular pharmacological mechanisms of toxicity, so that appropriate treatments and antidotes can be considered. Electrocardiography and arterial blood gases are particularly important in assessing poisoned patients, and laboratory drug confirmation plays a role in some circumstances. Oral activated charcoal is capable of reducing gastrointestinal absorption of a number of drugs and chemicals. A wide range of specific antidotes are available, including acetylcysteine; generalized strategies to minimize toxicity arising from certain agents include haemodialysis and intravenous lipid administration. Poisons units provide access to specialist expertise and poisoning management advice; in the UK advice can be sought from the National Poisons Information Service online via TOXBASE or by telephone. |
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