Tag: toxicology
- Opiate Overdose ()
Introduction One very common reason why patients seek medical care is for pain. Today, there are many ways to relieve pain, and one of them is with the use of opiates. Opiates have formally been approved for analgesia for close to 70 years, and for the most part, these drugs have been assumed to be […]
- Management of Toxicological Emergencies ()
When EMS are dispatched to a toxicological emergency, the importance of the scene size up cannot be underestimated. Much of the scene size up can be performed while enroute to the scene. If the call was made as a suicide attempt, the medics should ensure police are enroute as well. Suicidal patients sometimes attack ambulance […]
- Medication Overdose ()
Commonly Overdosed Medications For a variety of reasons, patients will take more than the prescribed amount of a medication. The reasons for overdosing range from intentional (suicidal or recreational) to accidental. The most common overdose that EMS will encounter is insulin. Patient’s take insulin at various times of the day, but fail to properly measure […]
- Poisonings & Exposures ()
A poison is any substance that is harmful to your body. You might swallow it, inhale it, inject it, or absorb it through your skin. Any substance can be poisonous if too much is taken. Poisons can include: Carbon monoxide from gas appliances – The main culprit for carbon monoxide poisoning is kerosene space heaters used […]
- Drugs Of Abuse – Non Narcotics ()
These Drugs Are Illicit, But Not Narcotics Despite all the confusion created over 100 years ago by the 1914 Harrison Anti-Narcotic Act, people can high without the benefit of the opium. There are plenty of ways to get high without opium. The following illicit drugs are not narcotics, and as such they do not respond […]
- Drugs Of Abuse – Alcohol Use Disorder ()
According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 85.6 percent of people ages 18 and older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime, 69.5 percent reported that they drank in the past year, and 54.9 percent (59.1 percent of men in this age group and 51.0 percent of women in […]
- Drugs Of Abuse – Narcotics ()
Narcotics Are Drugs Derived From Opium Opium is a highly addictive non-synthetic narcotic that is extracted from the poppy plant. The opium poppy is the key source for many narcotics, including morphine, codeine, and heroin. The poppy plant, Papaver somniferum, is the source of opium. It was grown in the Mediterranean region as early as […]
- Poisoning ()
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 […]
- Nerve Agent Antidotes ()
Nerve agents can be treated with atropine and pralidoxime chloride. Commonly used in the military and sometimes carried on ambulances are the Mark I kit and the DuoDote. The Mark I kit contains 3 sets of 2 autoinjectors. The Duodote contains 3 sets of 1 autoinjector (the DuoDote autoinjector combined both medications into one syringe. […]
- Mark I Autoinjector Kit ()
Mark 1 Kit contains: Atropine autoinjector 2 mg in 0.7cc Pralidoxime autoinjector (2-PAM) 600 mg in 2cc Injection site selection:It is important that the injectors be given in a large muscle area. The most common injection site of administration is the OUTER THIGH MUSCLE For thinly built individuals, the injection should be given in the UPPER OUTER […]