Toxicology Week 1 Flashcards
When should a hospital referral happen?
- Moderate to severe exposure
- Intentional ingestion
What are the ABCs of management?
Airway
Breathing
Circulation
Dextrose/Decontamination
EKG/Elimination
What are non-pharm options for toxic exposures?
Inhalational - remove from exposure area
Topical/dermal - irrigation with soap/water
T/F: We should utilize the gag reflex to remove toxic substances
FALSE
Which substances will not bind to activated charcoal?
- Ionized metals (lithium)
- Alcohols
- Gasoline
What are some pearls of activated charcoal?
- Sorbitol can improve palatability (only with one dose)
- Must have protected airway
- 1g/kg
What are some side effects of activated charcoal?
Vomiting, black tarry stools
Which decontamination strategy is useful for body packers or XR products?
Whole bowel irrigation
T/F: WBI is always best given by mouth
FALSE: an NG tube will eliminate the need for large volume consumption
When should you use orogastric lavage?
- Potential to produce serious toxicity
- No antidotes
- Time window gives reason to believe agent may still be in the stomach
When should hemodialysis be used?
- Other strategies unavailable/ineffective
- Potential to produce serious toxicity
- Agent dialyzable
Basically last line
What does an anticholinergic toxidrome look like?
- Dry mucous membranes
- Flushed skin
- Confused
- Absent bowel sounds
- Dilated pupils
- Hyperthermia
- Tachycardia
What is the antidote to anticholinergics?
Physostigmine (anticholinesterase inhibitor)
0.5 - 2 mg IV
What does a sedative-hypnotic toxidrome look like?
- Normal vital signs
- Very sleepy but can be woken up (painful stimuli)
What does an adrenergic/sympathomimetic toxidrome look like?
- All vitals high
- Agitated
- Positive bowel sounds
- Diaphoretic
- Dilated pupils
- Tremor
- Agitated
- Seizures
What does an opioid toxidrome look like?
- Unresponsive to stimuli (even painful)
- Respiratory rate very low
- Pinpoint pupils
What does a cholinergic toxidrome look like?
- Salivation
- Lacrimation
- Urination
- Defecation
- Gastric cramps
- Emesis
- Pinpoint pupils
- Heavy oral secretions
- Confusion
- Bradycardia
- Bronchorrhea
- Bronchospasm
What are the most dangerous effects of the cholinergic toxidrome?
Killer Bs:
- Bradycardia
- Bronchorrhea
- Bronchospasm
How can we treat a cholinergic toxidrome?
Atropine 1 mg IV - titrate until bronchorrhea resolved
Pralidoxime - must administer before cholinesterase becomes inactivated
What are substances with unique toxidromes that we should always get a level for?
Acetaminophen (no toxidrome), salicylates
Which drugs will levels be important for treatment?
- Digoxin
- Vancomycin
- Phenytoin
- Lithium
- Acetaminophen
Which 3 receptors do opioids act on?
- Mu
- Kappa
- Delta