According to Poison Control gave guidance to 2.1 million people in 2020. Poisoning occurs for a variety of reasons, however it is understood that humans come in contact with these poisons from the  environment, a consequence of the economy, or forensic (criminal) reasons. Toxicology is the branch of science concerned with the nature, effects, and detection of poisons. Poisoning is the action of administering poison to a person or animal. An overdose is an excessive quantity or amount of a substance given to a person or animal.

Routes of Exposure

• Ingestion – Nearly any poison can be eaten, intentionally or not. Most cases of ingested poisons are drug overdoses. The ambulance crew will probably be dispatched to an overdose, but clues are easy to find. Partially or completely empty pill bottles. More times than not, the patient will know how roughly how many pills they consumed. Ingested poisons aren’t limited to medications. Patients could have ingested gasoline, pesticides, or household chemicals. People of all ages ingest poisons.
• Inhalation – The first clue that the patient has inhaled a poison is the way the scene smells. If the air around the patient smells weird, the scene is probably not safe to enter. The Fire Department can enter the area with their self contained breathing apparatus, remove the patient, and determine the gas the patient inhaled. The most common poisoning from inhalation is carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is the waste product of combustion and binds with hemoglobin with 1000 times the affinity of oxygen. The patient’s skin will be cherry red.
• Injection – Injection occurs anytime the skin is punctured and a poison has been pushed into the body. The most common type of poisoning by injection is insect bites, which for the most part are not life threatening. Injection is a common route of exposure for illicit drugs.
• Absorption – The most common types of poisonings that occur through absorption are from plants such as poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. For the most part, these poisons are benign. Less common but much more lethal is exposure to pesticides. Farmers or workers sometimes get exposed to organophosphate poisons or other chemicals.