About Medical Toxicology

Medical Toxicology is a medical subspecialty focusing on the diagnosis, management and prevention of poisoning and other adverse health effects due to medications, occupational and environmental toxins, and biological agents. Medical Toxicology is officially recognized as a medical subspecialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

Examples of medical problems evaluated by Medical Toxicologists include:

1. Unintentional and Intentional Drug Overdose: including therapeutic drugs (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants, calcium antagonists); drugs of abuse (e.g. cocaine, amphetamines, opioids); over-the-counter medicines (e.g. aspirin, acetaminophen); and vitamins (e.g. iron supplements; vitamin A).
2. Hazardous Exposure to Chemical Products: such as pesticides; heavy metals (e.g. lead, arsenic, mercury); household products (e.g. cleaning agents); toxic gases (e.g. carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide); toxic alcohols (e.g. methanol, ethylene glycol); and other industrial and environmental agents.
3. Drug abuse management, including in-patient care for acute withdrawal from addictive drugs, and outpatient Medical Review Officer services for industry and organization.
4. Envenomations, such as snake bites, spider bites, scorpion stings.
5. Ingestion of Food-Borne Toxins: such as botulism; marine toxins (e.g. paralytic shellfish toxin; ciguatoxin).
6. Ingestion of Toxic Plants and Mushrooms.
7. Independent Medical Examinations, assessing injury or disability resulting from acute or chronic toxic exposures.
8. Health problems resulting from adverse reactions to drugs or medications and interactions of medications.

For additional information on Medical Toxicology click on the link below to go to the web site for the American College of Medical Toxicology.

http://www.acmt.net/main/home.asp