The UAB Office of Medical Toxicology in the Department of Emergency Medicine encompasses the only board-certified medical toxicologists in the state of Alabama. This program elevates clinical care by providing direct patient consults, adolescent addiction and snake bite follow-up clinics, and provides medical direction to the Alabama Poison Information Center. Educational opportunities are offered to the community including development of a medical toxicology course for medical residents and pharmacists, ongoing statewide lectures to lay and medical providers, and scientific presentations at national conferences including North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology, American College of Medical Toxicology, and EMPoweRx Conference. Medical Toxicology is currently studying and advancing the fields of snakebite care, addiction medicine, critically ill poisoned patients, and screening for pediatric poisoning.
Advancing Snakebite Care
UAB Medical Toxicology founded and operates the Comprehensive Snakebite Program at UAB and Children’s of Alabama. Medical Toxicology’s published research on snake envenomations has focused on employing ultrasound as a management tool and utilization of thromboelastograms (TEGs) to diagnose and treat rattlesnake envenomations. Key findings illustrate how early abnormalities on TEGs can predict snakebite-induced coagulopathy and provide guidance on dosing of antivenom. Our toxicology program has also presented eight abstracts at national and international conferences including management of snake envenomation complicated by underlying hemophilia A, delayed antivenom usage, and further standardization of care.
Drugs of Abuse
Surveillance and treatment of novel and emerging substances are a core aspect of our medical toxicology program with a recent focus on advancing the field of addiction medicine. UAB toxicology has contributed literature discussing synthetic drug use, experience with tianeptine, and withdrawal patterns, as well as presented nationally on associated topics.
Critically Ill Poisoned Patients
UAB Office of Medical Toxicology has further pushed the advancement of advanced therapies in critically ill poisoned patients through strategic multidisciplinary collaboration. Work on these topics include advancement and understanding of chelator therapy in heavy metal poisoning, direct drug cellular toxicity, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in antihypertensive drug toxicity.
Our Team
Rivera, Jessica, PharmD, DABAT
Assistant Professor