Toxidrome

Toxidrome[1]
Symptoms BP HR RR Temp Pupil size Bowel sounds Diaphoresis
anticholinergic up up up up up down down
cholinergic ~ ~ ~ ~ down up up
hallucinogenic up up up ~ up up ~
sympathomimetic up up up up up up up
sedative-hypnotic down down down down ~ down down

A toxidrome (a portmanteau of toxic and syndrome, coined in 1970 by Mofenson and Greensher[2]) is a syndrome caused by a dangerous level of toxins in the body. It is often the consequence of a drug overdose. Common symptoms include dizziness, disorientation, nausea, vomiting and oscillopsia. It may indicate a medical emergency requiring treatment at a poison control center. Aside from poisoning, a systemic infection may also lead to one. Classic toxidromes are presented below, which are variable[1] or obscured by co-ingestion of multiple drugs.[3]

A common tool for assessing for the presence of toxidrome in the United Kingdom is the CRESS tool.[4]

Toxidrome flowchart diagnosis
  1. ^ a b Goldfrank, Flomenbaum, Lewin, Weisman, Howland, Hoffman (1998). Goldfrank's Toxicologic Emergencies (6th ed.). Stamford, Connecticut: Appleton & Lange. ISBN 0-8385-3148-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Mofenson HC, Greensher J (1970). "The nontoxic ingestion". Pediatric Clinics of North America. 17 (3): 583–90. doi:10.1016/s0031-3955(16)32453-1. PMID 5491430.
  3. ^ Stead, LG; Stead, SM; Kaufman, MS (2006). First Aid for the Emergency Medicine Clerkship (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. pp. 395–6. ISBN 0-07-144873-X.
  4. ^ "CRESS tool". JESIP Website. Retrieved 2024-06-06.