introduction to clinical toxicology

Introduction .-
Toxicology is the study of the effect of poisons on the function of living systems.
Chemical agents that can cause toxicity include:
• Drugs
• Insecticides/herbicides
• Plant toxins, Animal toxins
• Chemical weapons,
• Radioactive elements
Toxicokinetic: denotes the absorption, distribution, excrection,and metabolism of toxines, toxic doses of therapeutic agents, and their metabolits.
? Overdose of a drug can alter the usual pharmacokinetic processes, for example, dissolution of tablets or gastric emptying time may be slowed so that absorption and peak toxic effects are delayed.
? Drugs may injure the epithelial barrier of the Gastrointestinal Tract(GIT) and thereby increase absorption.
? With increasing the concentration of drug in the blood, protein binding capasity may be exceeded, resulting in an increased fraction of free drug and grater toxic effect.
? If the plasma concentration is very high and normal metabolism is saturated, the rate of elimination may become fixed. This change is kinetics may markedly prolong the apperent serum half-life and increase the toxicity.
Toxicodynamics: is used to denote the injurious effects of toxic substances on vital function.