New trends in diagnostic investigations in poisoned patients

Evaluating a suspected poisoning or drug overdose provides a special challenge to clinicians. Prompt diagnosis in these cases allows the choice of an appropriate antidote or, more commonly, the provision of appropriate supportive care. On the basis of fictional portrayals in the popular media, many have the misconception that just ‘sending a sample to the lab’ will provide the answers to these clinical quandaries.

Section editor:Nico P.E. Vermeulen – Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands