Author Description

"Leading experts in the fields of toxicology and emergency medicine have written this new textbook....it provides the practitioner with up-to-date resources to evaluate toxicology laboratory findings in the clinical setting….I highly recommend this book not only as a teaching reference for clinical toxicology, but as a book that should also be in the reference libraries of forensic toxicologists, emergency room physicians, and poison control centers." Clinical Chemistry, 48, 6, 2002 An outstanding group of experts in laboratory medicine, emergency medicine, and toxicology, from poison control centers and academic, governmental, and private laboratories has produced this unique textbook. The wide range of disciplines represented points to the very essence of the contemporary practice of toxicology: the dramatic advances in the care of the poisoned patient due to improved standards in the specialty of emergency medicine, the advent of regional poison centers over the past 25 years, and successful efforts of clinical toxicologists in adapting cost-effective technologies to support the changing diagnostic and treatment modalities used. Major topics include the epidemiology of poisoning and substance abuse; pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic behavior of the most prevalent drugs of abuse, medications, and environmental poisons; clinical manifestations of poisons and approaches to diagnosis; critical appraisal of laboratory and point-of-care testing methods, sample types, and tests for sample adulteration; biological monitoring of chemical exposures; pharmacogenetic principles and toxicity risk assessment; principles and applications of advanced analytical techniques; and an assessment of the provision of clinical toxicology laboratory service that is based on examining clinical needs, technology requirements, and financial justifications. This textbook should be of interest to clinical pathologists; clinical chemists; laboratory directors, managers, supervisors, a