Six Toxicological Principles that are Applied in Evaluating a Poisoned Individual

The toxicology principles applied to evaluate a poisoned person include physical examination of the patient to get diagnosis clue. Physical examination can assist in identifying signs that can help one identify the specific poison used. In addition it assists in noting dynamic clinical appearance changes with time. The other principle is identifying toxidromes or toxic syndrome related to a certain class of particular poison. Rapid toxidrome identification can be great guiding tool for identifying the used poison and hence aiding in intervention.

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The other principle is determining route of exposure which can be oral, skin, injection or bite and inhalation. Physical examination of those parts can easily assist in identifying the route of exposure. Identifying the poison dosage is the other principle. This involves assessing and monitoring poison effect to the patient organs such as heart through ECG which will help to determine possible poison dosage, and the rate of poison absorption. This can guide on the intervention measure in terms of dosage and length of treatment to eliminate the poison in the body completely (Holstege & Lawrence, n.d.). Another principle is blood and stool test where possible to determine presence of any poison in the two. This can assist in determining the magnitude of absorption and the type of poison used. The other principle is identifying the best intervention measure to reduce the spread of the position through further absorption and also to eliminate the absorbed poison in the patient body.

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Example of toxidrome principle include assessment on pupil size,, irritation of mucus membrane, skin burns,, color and moisture, lungs examination to determine rales or wheezes, and checking the mouth to identify burns or throat irritation this helps in determining poison exposure mode  was inhaled. Dose makes of the poison principle can be accomplished through evaluation of clinical effect of the dose to the patient by testing blood, assessing function of different organs such as heart and lungs. High level of damage will demonstrate high level of exposure while low level of exposure will demonstrate minimal general body damage (Chemm, 2017).

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