PHARCC: [TOXICOLOGY]

• Toxicology


  The study of the adverse physicochemical effects of chemical, physical or biological agents on living organisms and the ecosystem, including the prevention and amelioration of such adverse effects
• Toxikon


  Poisonous substance into which arrow heads were dipped
• Logos


  Meaning study
• Xenobiotic


  Chemicals to which an organism is exposed that are extrinsic to the normal metabolism of that organism
• Clinical Toxicology


  • The branch of medical science which deals with the poison with reference to the source, characteristics and properties, the symptoms which they produce, lethal dose, the nature of fatal treatment, treatment of action, diagnosis, quantitative estimation of the poison
  • The specific discipline of the broader field of toxicology concerned with the toxic effects of agents whose intent is to treat, ameliorate, modify or prevent disease states, or, the effect of drugs which, at one time, were intended to be used as such
• Toxicology


  • Involves internal and external physiological exposure to toxins and their interactions with the body's components
  • Examines the mechanism of action
  • Assesses the probability of occurrence
  • Estimates potential effects on human health and environment
• The earliest collection of medical records contains many references and recipes for poisons
• Dioscorides, a Greek physician, classified poisons as animal, plant or mineral and recognized the value of emetics
• Maimmonides wrote about poisons and their antidotes
• Paracelsus viewed a poison in the body would be cured by a similar poison but the dosage is very important; "All substances are poisons; there is none that is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy"
• Orifila, a Spanish physician, contributed to forensic toxicology by devising means of detecting poisonous substances
• In the 20th century, toxicology has now become much more than the use of poisons. There are marked improvements in toxicological diagnosis (that ranges from screening to confirmatory tests), & management (production of antidote for them)
• Toxin


  A poison of natural origin
• Poison


  Any agent that causes injury/ death; Any agent which may cause serious body injury, disease or death when applied, introduced into or developed within the body
• Toxicity


  The ability of a chemical agent to cause injury
• Intoxication


  The state of poison exposure associated with poison; Toxicity associated with any chemical substance
• Poisoning


  Accidental exposure - An injury or death due to swallowing, inhaling, touching or injecting various drugs, chemicals, venoms or gases
• Overdose


  An excessive and dangerous dose of a drug; Taking too much of substance, whether it is prescription, over-the-counter, legal or illegal
• Hazard


  A danger to health resulting from exposure to environmental pollutants, such as asbestos or ionizing radiation, or to a lifestyle choice, such as cigarette smoking or chemical abuse
• Risk


  Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease; The expected frequency of the occurrence of an undesirable effect arising from exposure to a chemical or physical agent
• Types of Toxicology based on research methodology

  • Descriptive toxicology
  • Mechanistic toxicology
  • Regulatory toxicology
  • Predictive toxicology
• Types of Toxicology based on specific socio-medical issues

  • Clinical toxicology
  • Experimental toxicology
  • Environmental toxicology
  • Forensic toxicology
• Types of Toxicology based on organ/system effect

  • Cardiovascular toxicology
  • Renal toxicology
  • Central nervous system toxicology
  • Gastrointestinal toxicology
  • Toxicokinetics and Toxicodynamics
• Poison


  Any substance which when administered, swallowed or inhaled, acts on the body deleteriously
• Quantity


  A poison may be used as medicine in low quantity, but a medicine may be used as poison in high dose
• Intention


  If the intention is to save one's life, it is medicine. But if the intention is to kill someone or to produce bodily harms, it is poison
• Types of Poisoning


  • Endogenous poisoning
  • Exogenous poisoning
• Poisoning Effects


  • Local Poisoning
  • Remote Poisoning
  • Systemic Poisoning
  • Combined Poisoning
• Factors Affecting Poisoning Effects

  • Poison-Related Factors
  • Patient-Related Factors
  • Tolerance
• Types of Poisoning (medical viewpoint)

  • Acute
  • Chronic
  • Subacute
  • Subchronic
  • Cumulative
  • Combined
• Types of Poisoning (legal viewpoint)

  • Accidental
  • Suicidal
  • Homicidal
  • Undetermined
• Evidence of Poisoning


  • Circumstantial
  • Post mortem
  • Experimental
  • Chemical
  • Symptomatic
• Classification of Poisons


  • Corrosives
  • Irritants
  • Neurotic poisons
• Evidence


  Gathered after an autopsy is performed (examination of tissues, organs, body fluids after deaths)
• Experimental


  Administering the suspected substance to some living animal and noting the effect or symptom
• Chemical evidence of poisoning

  Detection of suspected substance via analysis of samples of body fluids collected
• Symptomatic evidence of poisoning


  Poisoning signs or effects are observed
• Classification of poisons


  • Corrosives
  • Irritants
  • Neurotic
  • Asphyxiants
  • Cardiac
  • Miscellaneous
• Corrosives


  Poisons which cause inflammation and ulceration, e.g. strong acids and strong alkalies
• Irritants


  Substances which produce inflammation of mucosa but do not produce ulceration, e.g. acids, inorganic irritants, animal organic