Home Health Center Poisoning   Poisoning - Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Poisoning


If you suspect anyone has been poisoned or have any questions about poison symptoms, you can call the U.S. National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. Alternatively, take the affected person directly to the emergency room or your doctor if you suspect he may have ingested a poison, even if he looks and feels fine. In cases, where poisoning is intentional, take along samples of the possible poison. This could include empty bottles or containers for a proper diagnosis and correct treatment.

Diagnosis of poisoning generally involves a thorough physical exam, lab tests and an investigation into the case history. You can help the doctor reach a diagnosis by providing pertinent information such as what the person ate or drank recently, names of prescription or over-the-counter medication used by the patient, if any other family member is suffering from the same symptoms, or if work colleagues or neighbors are similarly affected.

Blood tests and urine tests can indicate the presence of many poisons but until the doctor can narrow down the possible cause of the poisoning, all tests cannot be ordered. A toxicology screen test can check for common drugs such as marijuana, aspirin, opioids, cocaine, alcohol, amphetamines, and benzodiazepines (such as Valium). If heart rate slows down or speeds up drastically, an ECG can reveal the presence of certain toxins. Similarly, a CT scan can help rule out other medical conditions such as a stroke. 
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References
  1. Melvin Lewis, Albert J. Solnit, Mary H. Stark, Ira W. Gabrielson, Ethelyn H. Klatskin, AN EXPLORATION STUDY OF ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF POISON IN YOUNG CHILDREN, Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, Volume 5, Issue 2, April 1966, Pages 255-271, ISSN 0002-7138, 10.1016/S0002-7138(09)62057-4.
  2. Andrew J. Goddard, James Dear, Management of the poisoned patient, Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, Volume 11, Issue 11, November 2010, Pages 490-493, ISSN 1472-0299, 10.1016/j.mpaic.2010.08.011.
  3. Christopher P. Holstege, Stephen G. Dobmeier, Laura K. Bechtel, Critical Care Toxicology, Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, Volume 26, Issue 3, August 2008, Pages 715-739, ISSN 0733-8627, 10.1016/j.emc.2008.04.003.
  4. Donald D. Vernon, Martin C. Gleich, POISONING AND DRUG OVERDOSE, Critical Care Clinics, Volume 13, Issue 3, 1 July 1997, Pages 647-667, ISSN 0749-0704, 10.1016/S0749-0704(05)70333-X.