After noticing that patients they treated for methanol poisoning tended to have elevated blood glucose levels, the authors of this Iranian study set out to investigate this relationship and whether it might have prognostic significance. Retrospectively reviewing 7 years …
Last week we discussed the very interesting — but most certainly underdiagnosed — entity of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. In this week’s Life in the Fast Lane Review, Kane Guthrie points out that this is a hot topic, having been featured recently both …
Gil Scott-Heron (1949 – 2011) was often called the godfather of rap, but invariably objected to that description: “I don’t know if I can take the blame for it” he told one interviewer. There is no doubt, however, that his work in the 1970s prefigured rap and hip hop. “Angel dust” is a street term for phencyclidine (PCP), a …
TPR just returned from vacation, finally caught up with episode 92 (titled “Whiz Kid”) of the HBO series Entourage, and was interested to see that it contained plenty of material related to toxicology. In this episode Vince is required by his probation officer to take a urine drug test. Since he had smoked a joint the week before (in an attempt …
This important commentary discusses the problems, contradictions, and confusions generated by the FDA’s “black box” warnings, at least given the manner in which they are managed at present. Most importantly, the authors note that the warnings generally …
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome: Literature Review and Proposed Diagnosis and Treatment Algorithm. Wallace EA et al. Southern Med J 2011 Sep;104:659-664.
Last month we reviewed a diagnosis TPR had not heard of before: narcotic bowel syndrome. This paper describes another diagnosis new to us: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). Although cannabis has well-known anti-emetic properties, frequent chronic use can produce …
Clinical Review: Emergency management of acute poisoning. van Hoving DJ et al. African Journal of Emergency Medicine (2011), doi:10.1016/j.afjem.2011.07.006
[Note: this is an uncorrected proof of an article in press]
This article, from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, is a good, level-headed review of basic toxicology management. I especially like the way in which it emphasizes the importance …
Adolescents and Young Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department Intoxicated From a Caffeinated Alcoholic Beverage: A Case Series. Cleary K et al. Ann Emerg Med 08 Aug 2011 [Epub ahead of print]
Before it was reformulated by the manufacturer, Four Loko — a popular caffeinated alcoholic beverage — contained alcohol, caffeine, guarana, and taurine. Because the product contains …
