Intensive Care of Acute Poisoning - A. V. Hovenko 2010

Conclusion

Poisoning is a critical condition resulting from the exposure of a human or animal body to chemical compounds in amounts that disrupt physiological Functions and pose a life-threatening hazard. In mortality statistics, poisoning ranks second after cardiovascular diseases.

The human environment contains numerous chemical compounds with toxic properties, alongside A wide variety of poisonous plants and animals. Due to the mass production of chemicals widely used in agriculture, industry, daily life, medicine, and other fields, a so-called «toxic» situation has emerged. Every year, several thousand new chemical agents are synthesized worldwide, and hundreds are introduced into practice. Many of these, due to improper storage or breaches of safety protocols during production and use, can cause acute and chronic poisoning.

A distinctive feature of intensive care for severe acute poisonings of chemical Etiology is the necessity to simultaneously implement two MAIN TYPES OF therapeutic measures: artificial detoxification and symptomatic therapy aimed at maintaining overall Homeostasis, as well as preserving the Functions of the Organs and systems predominantly targeted by the specific substance due to its selective toxicity.

A key feature of Diagnosis and Treatment in clinical toxicology is the need to identify as early as possible the etiological Nature of the toxicant, the route of exposure, and the time of poisoning in order to promptly administer antidote and Pathogenetic Therapy, and to initiate the removal of the poison from the body without delay. In most cases, this determines The ultimate outcome of the poisoning—recovery or death of the patient.

The modern world forces humans to live under conditions of toxicological stress caused by environmental and technological disasters, occupational hazards, and domestic accidents. In addition to explicitly highly hazardous toxic substances, there are currently about 10 million different synthetic chemical compounds—xenobiotics—that also pose a potential threat to human health. Today, Structure/19.html">The Importance of information training and professional skills for clinical toxicologists and frontline physicians to master the full scope of clinical toxicology knowledge cannot be overestimated. The difficulties faced by practitioners dealing with cases of Acute Poisoning can be divided into two categories: 1) strategic challenges, concerning the identification of the specific toxic agent responsible for the poisoning, and 2) tactical challenges, concerning the choice of treatment aimed at accelerating the elimination of the poison and supporting the functions of damaged systems. This manual covers selected issues in the diagnosis and treatment of acute poisoning and reflects the current state and level of knowledge in toxicology.

Poisoning is a unique pathological process that develops rapidly and requires immediate medical attention. The outcome of the poisoning generally depends on how quickly and effectively medical care is provided to the patient.