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Toxicology is a multidisciplinary study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms, and tangentially the diagnosis and treatment of exposures to those chemical substances. Toxicologists determine how plants, animals, and bacterial organisms are affected by agricultural chemicals, industrial chemicals, metals, vapors and gases, naturally occurring toxins, and drugs, typically caused by the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of those substances.[1] Like other fields, many subspecialties are associated with toxicology, including[1]:
- analytical toxicology, for identifying toxicants;
- biomedical toxicology, for identifying how toxicants cause disease;
- environmental toxicology, for evaluating the effects of environmental chemicals and contaminants;
- forensic toxicology, for evaluating how toxicants and other chemicals caused death;
- molecular toxicology, for the application of molecular biology to toxicity;
- occupational toxicology, for evaluating the effects of chemical exposure in the workplace; and
- regulatory toxicology, for applying mechanistic information from toxicology to regulations and standards development.
Similar to a medical laboratory, a toxicology laboratory may focus on diagnostics or research. Test types may vary based on the focus. For example, toxicity testing on research animals may involve testing for acute toxicity, subacute toxicity, short-term subchronic toxicity, long-term chronic toxicity, reproductive toxicity, developmental toxicity, mutagenicity assays, irritation, allergic reaction, inhalation, and immunotoxicity.[1] However, diagnostic testing will involve testing for drugs of abuse, poisons, and heavy metals, or other toxicants. Pharmacogenetic testing may also be performed to develop dosing regiments for a specific drug.[2][3]
Toxicology laboratories in unique settings such as emergency departments of hospitals require extra consideration. For example, while toxicology testing in the emergency department is normal in regards to supporting and validating clinical findings, the testing must also take into account the legal ramifications of test results. Those results may be used in court cases, requiring strict chain-of-custody, full documentation, methodologies, and quality control results to be maintained. Additional specimens may be required by government bodies for their own testing, and as such the lab may want to add additional specimen collection to its official workflow. Additionally, personnel may need to become familiar with testimony procedures if required to testify in a criminal court case.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Eaton, D.L.; Gallagher, E.P. (2010). "Chapter 1.01 General Overview of Toxicology". In McQueen, C.A.. Comprehensive Toxicology (2nd ed.). Elsevier. pp. 1–46. ISBN 9780080468686. https://books.google.com/books?id=jzCAKsa2CpMC&pg=PA1.
- ↑ "Clinical Toxicology Testing". ARUP Consult. ARUP Laboratories. June 2021. https://arupconsult.com/content/clinical-toxicology-testing. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ↑ Sofronescu, A.G. (1 December 2018). "Purpose-driven Toxicology Services: The Key to Financial Success and Client Confidence". Clinical Laboratory News. American Association for Clinical Chemistry. https://www.aacc.org/cln/articles/2018/december/purpose-driven-toxicology-services-the-key-to-financial-success-and-client-confidence. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ↑ Magnani, B.; Kwong, T.C. (2012). "Chapter 2: Supporting the Emergency Department". In Magnani, B.; Bissell, M.G.; Kwong, T.C.; Wu, A.H.B. (PDF). Clinical Toxicology Testing: A Guide for Laboratory Professionals. College of American Pathologists. pp. 7–14. ISBN 9780983706816. http://webapps.cap.org/apps/docs/store/PUB220_Toxicol_Sample.pdf.
