Pharmacology and Toxicology

Selected Reading in Critical Care Pharmacology
Canonical reading material for the CICM Part II exam candidate
Influence of critical illness on pharmacokinetics
Ideal body weight and other measures of body composition
Influence of morbid obesity on pharmacokinetics
Adverse drug reactions
Pharmacology and toxicology in pregnancy
Pharmacology and toxicology in childhood
Pharmacology and toxicology in old age

Selected Drugs of Interest
Vasopressin and its analogues in the CICM Second Part Exam
Comparative pharmacology of inotropes and vasopressors
Comparative pharmacology of sedating and analgesic agents
Comparative pharmacology of antibiotics
Comparative pharmacology of antiarrhythmic agents
Synergy and toxicity in antiarrhythmic polypharmacy
Pharmacology of phenytoin

Techniques in Critical Care Toxicology
Initial assessment: the toxicological primary survey
Decontamination following overdose
Use of activated charcoal in toxicology
Toxicological uses of dialysis, haemoperfusion and plasmapheresis

Scenarios in Intensive Care Toxicology
A summary of toxins and their antidotes
Stereotypic toxidromes
Paracetamol toxicity
Propofol infusion syndrome
Toxic alcohols
Snake bite envenomation
Paraquat toxicity
Iron poisoning
Organophosphate poisoning
Digoxin toxicity
Salicylate toxicity
Tricyclic antidepressant overdose
Calcium channel blocker overdose
Beta blocker overdose
Cyanide toxicity
Sodium valproate toxicity
Theophylline toxicity
Malignant hyperthermia
Drug withdrawal states in the ICU
Corrosive ingestion
Sympathomimetic toxicity
Serotonin syndrome and neuroleptic malignant syndrome