Toxicology in Emergency Medicine

Abstract

Poisoning is a serious worldwide public health problem. Based on WHO data in 2012, almost 190,000 people died worldwide and the number of deaths due to poisoning in 2008 exceeded the number of deaths due to motor vehicular crashes; also, poisoning death rate nearly tripled worldwide. Number of patients presenting to the emergency departments with overdose, had been increased both intentionally and accidentally. All the previous facts make Toxicology an important field in emergency medicine. Management of intoxi cated patients has a unique approach because of the challenge in diagnosis and treatment of overdose cases. This chapter is focusing on general approaches for intoxicated patients and initial management and on how the history and physical examinations could help physicians to have what drug have been abused as well as review the mechanism of action, physical finding and treatment of the most common drugs-causing toxicity in addition to the drugs with high mortality morbidity rates.