CCC Critical Care compendium 340
Evidence-based Toxicology

Much of what we do in toxicology is because we think it works, not because we know it works. Clinical toxicology has traditionally been based on animal studies, case reports and case series based on clinical observation rather than clinical trials

CCC Critical Care compendium 340
Iron Overdose

Iron overdose can have local gastrointestinal effects as well as characteristic systemic toxicity (metabolic acidosis, liver failure, shock and multi-organ failure). Risk assessment is based on the amount of elemental iron ingested

CCC Critical Care compendium 340
Plant Toxicity

Severe toxicity from plants is rare in humans; risk assessment is often difficult - plant identification may be difficult; - toxin quantification may be impossible

CCC Critical Care compendium 340
Infections in the Immunocompromised

immunosuppression is increasingly common in the ICU and in the community; due to conditions such as chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation for cancer, solid organ transplantation, and therapies for autoimmune and rheumatological diseases; such patients are susceptible to the common pathogens seen as well as opportunistic pathogens

CCC Critical Care compendium 340
Pneumonia in the Immunocompromised

The numbers of immunocompromised patients is increasing c/o improved solid-organ and haemopoietic transplants and the expanded use of immunomodulatory therapies. Pulmonary infections = most frequent complication with high mortality

CCC Critical Care compendium 340
Open Lung Biopsy

Biopsy should be taken from a representative area, not one with a high likelihood of non-specific fibrosis (eg. dependent segments of RML)
Biopsy should not be performed too late in disease process
Risks versus utility of information gathered must be weighed carefully