Medical toxicology
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The modern toxicology laboratory can play an important role in the evaluation of poisoning. In order to appreciate the nature and extent of this role, several essential elements necessary to an acute care toxicology service should be considered. ⋯ How these elements work together to facilitate this service will be discussed, based primarily on experience in a large teaching hospital. This experience indicates that if the elements necessary to provide laboratory support in the investigation of an alleged poisoning are in place, the toxicology laboratory plays an important role in ensuring optimum and effective patient care.