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Toxicology and OD

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Abstract

After an exposure to any potential poison, the basic principles of assessment and stabilization of ABCD (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability) still apply with the addition of an extra D for Decontamination. This includes removing any ongoing exposure or absorption by removing clothes that may be saturated with a toxin, irrigating the skin or manually brushing off cutaneous substances, and preventing further enteral absorption by using activated charcoal to bind the substance or to flush it out of the body using whole bowel irrigation. For some substances, certain patterns of toxicity known as toxidromes exist (See Fig. 28.1), and for some toxins, specific antidotes may be indicated in addition to supportive care (see Box 28.1) [1, 2].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Critical Care to Paediatric Emergency medicine, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Mark Hincapie

  2. Department of Emergency Medicine, Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Florida, College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Emily Fontane

  3. College of Medicine, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Joseph R. Shiber

Authors
  1. Mark Hincapie
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  2. Emily Fontane
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  3. Joseph R. Shiber
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Correspondence to Joseph R. Shiber .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Medicine, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville, FL, USA

    Joseph R. Shiber

  2. Resuscitation & Emergency Critical Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Scott D. Weingart

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Hincapie, M., Fontane, E., Shiber, J.R. (2020). Toxicology and OD. In: Shiber, J., Weingart, S. (eds) Emergency Department Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28794-8_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28794-8_28

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