Today we're continuing our toxicology mini-series with another group of very common, and often very critical, toxins - human medications.

There are a whole host of different medication toxicities we see, and in this episode I'm going to walk you through 4 big ones: paracetamol toxicity in cats, NSAID toxicity in both cats and dogs, inhaler ingestion or overdose, and ingestion of antidepressants and ADHD medications.

These patients also need a whole host of nursing support. We're essential in the management of these cases, where prompt triage and stabilisation is vital, as is intensive monitoring.

To do that confidently, we need to understand how each of these toxins impact our patients, and the signs we see as a result - so we can spot them, and care for the patient accordingly - and that's exactly what you'll find in this episode.

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This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.

I'm willing to bet that most people listening have seen a dietary toxin case at some point in their career. Dogs especially have a knack for raiding bins, cupboards, and kitchen counters. Thankfully most cases we see are mild, but they can be life-threatening and need intensive monitoring and nursing care.

But what happens when our patients ingest these toxins? What signs do we see, and what nursing care do these patients need? Well, it varies depending on the toxin - but it's often intensive.

Today, we'll focus on three big dietary toxins: chocolate, grapes, and tremorgenic mycotoxins. We'll talk about how they affect our patients, the signs to look out for, and how to treat and nurse these patients effectively. So you can spend less time on the phone to the poisons helpline, and more time caring for your patients.

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BRAND NEW ways to learn with me:

📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club

📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins!

---

More free ways to learn with me:

📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode

📲 Follow me on Instagram

🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing

---

This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.

In episode 90 of the Medical Nursing Podcast, we're starting a brand new mini-series on toxicology.

Whether you work in general practice, referral medicine, or out of hours, you'll encounter these patients often - and spoiler alert: our role is so much more than holding a litter tray under a patient whilst the apomorphine kicks in.

Our role in managing toxin ingestion cases is vast, whether that involves providing advice to caregivers who are concerned, monitoring a patient exhibiting active signs of toxicity, or managing critically ill patients on CRIs or receiving ventilation.

And with all of this, of course, there are tons of practical skills we get to use in the process.

To start things off, this episode will give you all the information you need on toxicology triage and decontamination. We'll chat through pre-visit advice and how to get the information you need from your caregivers, when these patients should be seen, and what decontamination strategies we have (as well as which toxins to use them with).

You'll leave the episode feeling ready to triage and stabilise your toxicity cases - and then across the next few weeks, we'll take a closer look at the specific toxins commonly affecting our patients.

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BRAND NEW ways to learn with me:

📲 Join the Medical Nursing Library Club

📲 Join me for the next live webinar: IV access 101, how to hit those tricky veins!

---

More free ways to learn with me:

📲 Grab the show notes and references from today's episode

📲 Follow me on Instagram

🖥️ Learn more about medical nursing

---

This podcast does not replace a veterinary surgeon's advice, and its content is provided only for information. A veterinary surgeon must diagnose all conditions, and veterinary nurses and technicians must ensure they work within local legislation and regulating body guidelines at all times. Any products or treatments discussed are for information only and do not constitute endorsements of products or services.