About
Welcome to The Poison Review, a critical update and evaluation of recent scientific literature, news stories, and cultural events related to the field of medical toxicology. Our interests are wide-ranging and eclectic, since we take our philosophy from Paracelsus, often called the father of toxicology: “All things are poison and nothing is without poison, only the dose permits something not to be poisonous.”
My name is Leon Gussow, and I am the medical editor of The Poison Review. I have practiced and taught medical toxicology since 1992, and am board-certified in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine. I currently teach as a lecturer at the University of Illinois Medical Center and an instructor at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, both in Chicago. I am also a medical consultant to the Illinois Poison Center, and write a monthly column – “Toxicology Rounds” – for Emergency Medicine News.
Medical toxicology touches on all fields of medicine. Relevant articles can appear in journals devoted to primary care or any of the medical specialties. Because of this, it is difficult for the practitioner to keep up with the many publications that appear on a daily basis. The main goal of The Poison Review is to review critically and rate this scientific literature.
My other area of intense interest is the use of ultrasound imaging in emergency medicine. A section of this blog will also cover developments in this field.