Toxicology - Introduction, Management & Decontamination

In progress

Min, Avg, Max Temp for Horses

99, 100, 100.5

Min, Avg, Max Temp for Cows

100, 101.5, 102.5

Min, Avg, Max Temp for Pigs

100.5, 102.5, 104

Min, Avg, Max Temp for Sheep

102, 102.5, 104

Min, Avg, Max Temp for Dogs

99.5, 101.5, 102.5

Min, Avg, Max Temp for Cats

100, 101.5, 102.5

Min, Avg, Max RR for Horses

8, 12, 16

Min, Avg, Max RR for Cows

10, 20, 30

Min, Avg, Max RR for Pigs

10, 13, 20

Min, Avg, Max RR for Sheep

10, 16, 20

Min, Avg, Max RR for Dogs

10, 20, 30

Min, Avg, Max RR for Cats

20, 25, 30

Min, Avg, Max P for Horses

28, 35, 40

Min, Avg, Max P for Cows

40, 60, 80

Min, Avg, Max P for Pigs

60, 70, 80

Min, Avg, Max P for Sheep

70, 75, 80

Min, Avg, Max P for Dogs

60, 90, 120

Min, Avg, Max P for Cats

110, 120, 130

D in DAMNIT

Degenerative, developmental, dementia

A in DAMNIT

anatomic, anomalies, allergic, autoimmune

M in DAMNIT

metabolic, mechanical

N in DAMNIT

neoplastic, nutritional

I in DAMNIT

inflammatory, infectious, immune-mediated, idiopathic, ischemic

T in DAMNIT

toxic, trauma, tumor

Everything is toxic at _____

the right DOSE

Define toxicology

scientific study of toxicants and their chemical and physical properties, their biological effects, and the treatment of the disease conditions induced by them

____ and toxciology share what common principles?

Pharmacology

• biodynamics of uptake and elimination

• mechanisms of action

• principles of treatment

• dose-response relationships

What are the types of doses?

non-therapeutic, therapeutic, non-toxic, toxic, lethal

How do you tell the difference between the types of doses?

MATH

Define toxicant (poison, toxin)

ANY solid, liquid, or gas which when introduced into a biologic system can interfere with the life processes of the organisms without acting mechanically and irrespective of temperature

Define toxicity

The amount of a substance that, under a specific set of conditions, causes toxic effects or results in detrimental biologic changes. Related to DOSE!!

AKA potency, described as low, moderate, high

Define Hazard or Risk

The likelihood or probability that a substance will induce a disease state under the conditions of normal use or the likelihood of exposure to a particular toxicant under the conditions of use

Described as low, moderate, high

What is acute toxicosis?

• single or short-term massive exposure to concentrated chemicals or contaminants of foodstuffs and/or water supplies

• Exposures less than 24 hours in duration

Acute toxicosis results in what kind of clinical signs?

overt clinical signs and/or death

Timeline of subacute toxicosis

up to 30 day exposure situation

Timeline of subchronic toxicosis

30-90 day exposure situation

What is chronic toxicosis?

• Occurs over a period of weeks, months, years (generally >90 days) and rarely causes sudden toxicosis or deaths

Chronic toxicosis results in what type of clincial signs?

• insidious loss of body condition

• reduced productivity

Clincial presentation of toxicologic diseases will vary depending on what?

Several factors

• Factors of the toxicant

• Factors associated with the host animal

• Environmental/External Factors

List the 9 objective assessments of hydration

1) Packed Cell Volume

2) Total Protein

3) BUN

4) Creatinine

5) Lactate

6) Glucose

7) USG

8) Urine output

9) BW

1st and 2nd major Ds in toxicology

dose, decontaminate

It is never too late to ____!

decontaminate (sometimes it is)

What are some reasons as to why it is difficult to diagnose toxicant-induced disease on clincial signs alone?

• toxicology disease mimic many other conditions

• each body system reacts in a limited number of ways

• clinician may only observe ONE phase of syndrome

Factors of the toxicant influence what?

Interaction with receptors or cell membrane

What are components of factors of the toxicant?

1. Composition of the sample - volume

2. Chemical Properties - affect degree of absorption and distribution

3. Formulation and vehicle - affect absorption rates

Concentration, dose, acute vs chronic, inorganic vs organic, stablity describes what?

composition of the sample, a factor of toxicant

Solubility, polarity, ionization describes what?

chemical properties, a factor of the toxicant

liquid, solid, gas, sprays, powders, mixing/setting, palatability describes what?

Formulation and vehicle, factors of the toxicant

Factors associated with the host animal do what?

modify its ability to activate, detoxify, or adapt to the toxicant

What are components of factors associated with the host animal?

1. Biotransformation and bioactivation

2. Morphologic characteristics

liver disease, partitioning, age, concurrent disease or nutritional deficiencies, species/strain/breed, route of exposure, sex describes what?

biotransformation and bioactivation, factors associated with the host animal

ruminant vs monogastric, gag reflex present, genetic predisposition describes what?

morphologic characteristics, factors associated with the host animal

Enviornmental/External factors do what?

affect either the toxicant or the host animal

What are the components of environmental/external factors?

1. environmental temperature

2. altered feed and water intake

3. site of administration: oral vs dermal vs inhalation vs injectable vs combo

A confirmed toxicologic diagnosis rests upon the following 5 things:

1. signalment, history, and circumstances of exposure

2. clinical signs

3. specific evidence of pathophysiologic derangement - clinical tests

4. gross and histologic lesions - necropsy

5. detection of the toxicant in animal tissues or environment
   reasonable differential list

True or False? The presence of abnormalities in clincial tests, gross and histologic lesions, and detection of toxicants is the only useful result.

False. Both the presence and absence CAN BE IMPORTANT

What are the important questions to ask with toxin exposures?

1. Is the P stable?

2. Any current or past medical concerns and medications?

3. P signalment

4. What is suspected toxin and route(s) of exposure?

5. What is the suspected exposure dose?

6. How long ago did this occur?

7. Where did the exposure occur?

8. Other factors involved? (accidental, malicious, human exposures, environmental factors)

You can never ____ too much!

sample

What is REQUIRED equipment for a necropsy?

gloves, PPE,

sharp knife and equipment to keep it sharp, tissue forceps and scissors, saw for larger animals,

fixative and containers (large Ziploc bags, plastic/glass containers), sterile syringes, needles, Whirl-Pak bags,

marking pen,

camera/cell phone

What is HELPFUL equipment for a necropsy?

flashlight, extra pair of hands, bucket

coveralls, boots

hatchet, ax, cleaver for larger animals if saw not available

shears, metric rule

swabs, microscope slides

scale, tags

dissecting microscope

List of tissues and volumes is ___ dependent. Diagnostic labs will ___ but can sometimes ___.

• species/test

• ask for more, make do with less

What are the general key samples to send to diagnostic lab?

stomach, rumen, intestinal contents/vomitus/lavage washings, liver, kidney, body fat, pancreas, lung, urine, serum/plasma/whole blood, eyeball, brain, skin/hair, feed/baits/water/soil

What should you note about the samples you submit? What is helpful to provide?

unusual odor, color, foreign substances, take images!

Common pitfalls with sending samples to the lab

• insufficient or no history

• inappropriate sample for test requested

• insufficient sample size or inappropriate preservation

• poor bagging, labeling, packaging

When in doubt, ____ your laboratory

call

What are the 6 goals in management and therapy of acute toxicosis?

1. Emergency stabilization/life support measures

2. Clinical evaluation and diagnostic procedures: establish tentative dx

3. Decontamination

4. Administer specific drugs or supportive care “antidote”

5. Facilitate removal of the “absorbed” toxicant

6. Client education