a bimonthly newsletter february 2010 - acmt · a bimonthly newsletter february 2010 the...
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American College of Medical Toxicology 10645 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 200-111 Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (623) 533-6340 Email: [email protected] 1
President’s ColumnNew Initiatives for a New Year 2010Erica L. Liebelt, MD, FACMTPresident
In our winter newsletter, the column “ACMT 2009 – A Year in Review” clearly demonstrated ACMT’s growth and accomplishments in education, our Medical Toxicology Foundation, ongoing expertise at the national level, international representation in medical toxicology, collaboration with federal agencies, and research. The commitment and involvement of the ACMT Board of Directors and most importantly, the participation of our members, made all of this exponential growth in our organization possible.
As we begin a new decade in the 21st century, we are implementing many new initiatives to fulfill and advance our organization’s mission: to ”advance quality care of poisoned patients and public health through physicians who specialize in consultative, emergency, environmental, forensic, and occupational toxicology”
Growth of ACMT Spring ConferenceOur 8th Annual ACMT Spring Conference will be including new programs that demonstrate our commitment to educating emergency physicians, primary care physicians, other healthcare providers, and now our commitment to educating the public.
• Update on New Antidotes and Drug Safety in the Emergency Department: We piloted a one day course at our conference last year in Puerto Rico and this met with great success. Thus, we collaborated with the Arizona College of Emergency Physicians and the Arizona Pharmacy Alliance to design a one day course specifically for emergency and primary care physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and paramedics.
• Bites, Stings, and Arizona Desert Poisonings for the Desert Enthusiast: This ½ day course is intended for persons with an interest in or occupation involving the wildlife and plants of the Arizona desert and is being offered free to the public. This course is ACMT’s first initiative in
outreach and education of the public about our specialty.
Please see our website home page www.acmt.net for brochures and details of both of these courses.
Growth of ACMT Forensic Courses
ACMT’s first Forensic Course last November, in collaboration with the Society of Forensic Toxicology (SOFT) was a huge success and resulted in numerous requests to repeat the course’s content—Ethanol and Marijuana—on the west coast as well as to develop additional content of interest to both forensic and medical toxicologists.
• ACMT Seminars in Forensic Toxicology: Ethanol and Marijuana – will be repeated in San Francisco on December 13-14, 2010.
ACMT will be holding a new forensic course in 2010:
• ACMT Seminars in Forensic Toxicology: Opioids. Michael Policastro, MD is leading the development of this course along with SOFT members Bruce Goldberger, PhD, Marina Stajic, PhD, and Robert Middleburg, PhD. A spectrum of forensic toxicology topics will be covered focusing specifically on opioids: impairment, analytical techniques of detection, interpretation of levels, and postmortem redistribution. This
A Bimonthly Newsletter February 2010
The President’s Column: New Initiatives for a New Year 2010
ACMT Features
• Read about Web 2.0
• Global Toxicology Website
• A Fellow’s Perspective on Healthcare Reform
• Toxicology New and Noteworthy
• This Month in JMT
• ToxIC Update
• Calendar of Events
ACMT Educates
• Spring Conference 2010
• Board Review Course
• American-Israeli Med Tox Conference
• Forensic: Opioids
• Forensic: ETOH and Marijuana
Table of Contents The 8th Annual ACMT Spring Conference
is just around the cornerMother Nature’s Gift to
Toxicologists (pdf)Exploring the Animal,
Botanical & Mineral Toxic World
March 12-14, 2010 Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa,
Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale
A M E R I C A N C O L L E G E O F M E D I C A L T O X I C O L O G Y
2 American College of Medical Toxicology 10645 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 200-111 Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (623) 533-6340 Email: [email protected]
course will be held in Philadelphia, PA on November 8-9, 2010.
Details about both of these courses will be forthcoming in the ensuing months. The success of our first forensic course clearly demonstrates the mutually beneficial effects of collaboration with other toxicology organizations.
Growth of ACMT in the International Arena
The ACMT International Committee will be represented again in 2010 at the Middle East and North Africa Clinical Toxicology Course in Lebanon. Thanks to ACMT members Nadeem Al-Duaij MD and Ziad Kazzi MD.
First American/Israeli Medical Toxicology Conference: ACMT is leading a collaborative effort with Yedidia Bentur, MD and the Israel Society for Toxicology for the first joint American/Israeli Medical Toxicology Conference to be held in Haifa, Israel in November 2010. Abstract submissions are due in April.
Growth of Mentorship and Professional Development Program
Trevonne Thompson, MD and Ann-Jeanette Geib, MD are leading this new initiative from the ACMT Medical Toxicology Institute – Mentorship and Professional Development Program—for all ACMT members, particularly medical toxicologists early in their career. This program was established to promote understanding of the career opportunities within medical toxicology and to provide access to skill development in preparation for those opportunities. Similar initiatives have already been in place at our ACMT Spring Conference, where we hold several sessions focusing on the professional development of fellows-in-training. It is extremely important that our organization helps to foster the growth and development of meaningful and successful professional careers of newly minted medical toxicologists. See our website: http://acmt.net/Mentorship_Program.html for additional details.
ACMT Hires Jim Wiggins, MPH as Full-Time Educational CoordinatorJim Wiggins recently joined ACMT as Educational Coordinator. Over the last decade, Jim has been working in global health advocacy as a consultant and special events director. At the Global Health Council in Washington, DC, he was responsible for managing and producing conferences and special events in the US, and internationally. He completed a Master of Public Health at the University of Arizona and also did graduate work in socio-cultural anthropology. Jim lives in Tucson, AZ.
The Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC) - UpdateJeffrey Brent, MD, PhD, FACMT
The ACMT’s ToxIC network has been very busy and is becoming a major source of data collection for research and the development of studies in medical toxicology. There are now 3 studies either ongoing or just being launched and a major in-depth registry of cases cared for at the bedside or in the clinic by medical toxicologists is collecting high quality data. This registry is an incredibly rich source of data for studies and is available for use by any participating investigator. As ToxIC grows we invite members of the College to not only be investigators but also to play administrative and leadership roles in its development. If you are interested in working with ToxIC as an investigator, in an administrative role, or both, please let us know at [email protected]
8th Annual ACMT Spring Conference - Update
ACMT is looking forward to hosting our annual spring conference from March 12-14 at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale Arizona. A record number of registrants have signed up for the conference. By adopting a new 3 day format ACMT hopes that registrants will find plenty of time to enjoy the desert scenery, wonderful weather, and exciting offerings of the Southwest as well as take in our action packed educational program. Keeping within the educational themes of the conference, for the first time the conference is offering field trips to the local zoo and botanical gardens. In addition a scientific poster session will be offered highlighting original research that has recently been presented at other scientific meetings. See program for further details.
ACMT Members Teach at REAC/TSFour ACMT members, Charles McKay, MD, Mark Kirk, MD, Michael Beuhler, MD, and Paul Wax, MD recently participated in a special 2 day webcast of ACMT’s Agents of Opportunity course at the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) at Oak Ridge Associated Universities in Oak Ridge, TN. This 2 day program was broadcast to over 300 registrants from around the country. Day 1 featured ACMT’s own Chemical Agents of Opportunity TICs and TIMs course and Day 2 was REAC’TS Chemical Agents of Opportunity - Radiation course.
The webcast case be accessed here where you can find the Agents of Opportunity course on the upper left corner of the REAC/TS website. Free CME is available until the end of the month.
A C M T N E W S L E T T E R
American College of Medical Toxicology 10645 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 200-111 Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (623) 533-6340 Email: [email protected] 3
Web 2.0Leon Gussow, MD, FACMT
The still controversial phrase “Web 2.0” refers to Internet tools and applications that enable multiple users to share information rapidly -- if not instantaneously -- and interact in new ways. In this paradigm, “Web 1.0” was a top down, somewhat authoritarian model in which information was unilaterally flowed from so-called “experts” and was merely consumed -- think the Encyclopaedia Britannica. With “Web 2.0”, content can be created, edited, altered, or removed by any user with Internet access -- think Wikipedia. While one might suppose that this “power to the people” approach would produce an infinite amount of unreliable information, a 2005 study in the journal Nature found that the accuracy of scientific entries in Wikipedia was similar to that of articles in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. It seems that allowing an infinite number of users to edit content results in a very effective method of self-correction.
It is also clear that “Web 2.0” allows for distribution of scientific information with an unprecedented timeliness and immediacy. As budgets and space allocations for medical libraries continue to be cut back, and hard copies of medical journals are quickly disappearing, interactive web sites are fast becoming an essential tool for scientists to keep up with new research and developments in their fields. The following are some components of “Web 2.0” that toxicologists can use to stay current:
Twitter - Twitter was originally designed to allow easy posting of a short message (maximum 140 characters) that answered the simple question “What are you doing now”. This has evolved to include the questions: What are you publishing? And: What are you reading? A number of scientific journals are now “tweeting” the contents of their current issue as soon as it appears. I predict that within 3 years all journals will do so. The “tweets” often contain links to abstracts or full-text versions of the articles. Additionally, apps for smart phones (such as Tweetie 2 for the iPhone) make it very easy to review new “tweets”. Some Twitter accounts that toxicologists may find useful include:
• U.S. FDA (@fdarecalls) -- sends out notification of products recalled by the F.D.A.
• DoseNation (@dosenation) -- entertaining and informative glimpses into the drug culture
• New England Journal of Medicine (@nejm)
• British Medical Journal (@BMJ)
• JAMA (@JAMA)
• American Association of Poison Control Centers (@aapcc)
Podcasts - These are downloadable audio and/or visual files that can be played back on a digital media player such as the iPod. My favorite podcast relating to toxicology is Mark Mycyk’s “Chicago Toxcast”, which every month posts 15-20 minute reviews of recent medical toxicology articles, as well as fascinating and relevant musical selections. It is easy to sign up for a free subscription by searching for “Chicago Toxcast” in the iTunes store.
Wikis - These informational databases are open to contributions and editing by multiple users. The name comes from the Hawaiian word for “fast”, which has since been backronymed to stand for “What I know is . . .” The granddaddy of all wikis is, of course, Wikipedia. Toxipedia (www.toxipedia.org) is an ambitious project that aims to become a free and readily accessible encyclopedia of all things toxic. At this stage, it is still quite incomplete and hard to navigate, but with enough support from the toxicology community it should fill out over time.
Blogs - Usually produced by individuals or small groups, blogs feature journal-like entries listed in reverse chronological order. Often blogs focus on limited or special-interest topics, and link frequently to related material on the web. Two blogs that toxicologists may want to check out are:
• Life in the Fast Lane (www.lifeinthefastlane.com) -- A blog produced by an energetic and funny group of Australian emergency physicians with a strong interest in toxicology.
• The Poison Review (www.thepoisonreview.com) - My own blog, which reviews and rates recent toxicology literature, and links to current stories about tox in the news.
Web 2.0 is rapidly becoming an informational and educational tool of unprecedented power. It is not a fad, and it is not going away. It is important that all physicians are aware of what is available through this media, and to determine what applications and sites best fit their needs.
Toxicology New and Noteworthy
ACMT Members Participate in FDA Advisory Committee HearingA number of medical toxicologists (and ACMT members) participated in the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee meeting of July 20 - 21, 2009. Sitting on the committee as an ad hoc member was Cynthia Lewis-Younger, MD. Giving scheduled testimony before the committee regarding the level of scientific evidence that should be required for the potential licensure of new coral snake antivenom were Steven Seifert, MD and Stephen Borron, MD among others. Leslie Boyer, MD also delivered remarks in the public hearing phase of the meeting. See link:
ACMT Member Participates on NIH PanelEdward W Boyer, MD, PhD, chief of the division of medical toxicology at the University of Massachusetts, has been invited to become an inaugural member of the NIH College of CSR Reviewers. The College seeks to proactively engage high quality, experienced reviewers so that NIH may better match expertise to applications. Membership is restricted to senior respected members of the scientific community with a strong commitment to peer review and is by invitation only. Dr. Boyer has also been invited by Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to participate in a summit entitled "Buprenorphine in the treatment of Opioid Addiction: Reassessment 2010". This is the fourth buprenorphine summit that SAMHSA has invited Dr Boyer to participate.
ACMT Member Testifies on Capitol HillCharles McKay MD was asked to provide testimony on Feb 4, 2010 before a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on The Environment and Public Works regarding biomonitoring. The focus is the reform of the Toxic Substance Control Act of 1976. Chair Lautenberg (D-NJ) convened 2 panels with representation from CDC, NIEHS, EPA, GAO, a citizen, a researcher, an environmental advocacy group (ERG), and Dr. McKay. While recognizing the important role of biomonitoring, Dr. McKay raised cautions about the interpretation of data - both in terms of association vs. causation and the determination of "safe" levels. The committee hearing is archived here.
U P C O M I N G A C M T C O N F E R E N C E S
4 American College of Medical Toxicology 10645 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 200-111 Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (623) 533-6340 Email: [email protected]
First AnnouncementThe American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT)
in conjunction with theIsraeli Society of Toxicology (IST)
announces theJoint American Israeli
Medical Toxicology Conference
ACMT and IST are soliciting proposals for lectures or workshops from those who would like to present at the conferenceAll are welcome to submit, not just ACMT or IST membersPlease send a title and a brief description (200 words or less) of yourproposed presentation to: [email protected]
Submission Deadline: April 1, 2010
Haifa, IsraelNovember 16-17, 2010
Meeting OrganizersACMTLewis Nelson, MD, FACMT; Director of Medical Toxicology Fellowship, NYU School of MedicinePaul Wax, MD, FACMT; Clinical Professor of Surgery (Emergency Medicine), University of Texas, Southwestern Medical SchoolJeffrey Brent, MD, PhD, FACMT; Clinical Professor of Medicine & Pediatrics, University of Colorado Medical CenterISTYedidia Bentur, MD; Director, Israel Poison Information Center, Rambam Health Care Campus, Technion, HaifaMatityahu Lifshitz, MD; Chairman, Div. of Pediatrics; Director, Clin. Toxicology Unit; Soroka University Medical Center, Beer ShevaDaniel Kurnik, MD; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Sheba Medical Center; Sackler School of Med., Tel Aviv Univ.
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF MEDICAL TOXICOLOGY
2010 ACMT MEDICAL TOXICOLOGY BOARD REVIEW COURSE
Get Prepared with ACMT
on medical toxicology.
subspecialty exam offered jointly by ABEM, ABP and ABPM.
not seen in your daily practice.
is conveniently scheduled close to the board exam date.
for your board subspecialty exams.
and answers will be available.
September 11-13, 2010 Cincinnati, Ohio
Register online (click here) or by calling (623) 533-6340
M T F I T A C O R N E R
American College of Medical Toxicology 10645 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 200-111 Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (623) 533-6340 Email: [email protected] 5
MTFITA CornerA Fellow’s Perspective on Healthcare ReformDaniel M. Lugassy, MDVice President, MTFITAMedical Toxicology Fellow at the New York City Poison Control Center
The views and opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily the views and opinions of MTFITA or ACMT
“Fulminant hepatic failure from acetaminophen, OK. Does the patient have health insurance?”-(statement from accepting hospital)
It’s rare as a medical toxicology fellow that I consider a patient’s health insurance status, but this all too familiar question reminds me that medical decisions even in toxicology are often made based on medical coverage or lack there of. In this current economic climate, the political healthcare reform debate is boiling over. As my fellowship nears its end and my career in emergency medicine and medical toxicology continues I can’t escape the reality that our current healthcare system is poisoned and our patients are suffering from the “toxic” effects.
We often justifiably recommend necessary but costly treatment and interventions in our poisoned patients without considering the financial impact it may have on them when they recover. More than 60% of Americans who filed for personal bankruptcy in 2007 did so as a result of illness and/or medical bills. The most alarming fact is that three quarters of these people had health insurance!
More than 45 million Americans are uninsured and another 20 million are underinsured. US healthcare spending costs accounted for 15.3% of our the gross domestic product in 2006, considerably higher than other countries such as Switzerland (11.3%), Canada (10.0%), France (11.0%), Germany (10.6%), Japan (8.1%), and the United Kingdom (8.4%). Despite spending more than these nations who cover all their inhabitants, we lag behind in patient satisfaction, access to care/medications, and life expectancy. Overhead, underwriting, billing, marketing and other administrative costs account for 31% of healthcare dollars spent in the current US private insurance for-profit system, not to mention huge executive and shareholder profits.
Uninsured patients are sicker, die younger, have less access to medical care and are unable to afford medications. Something needs to change so that we can care for patients equally and without regard to insurance status, in addition to securing a functional system for ourselves.
The solution in my opinion: single payer national health insurance. There is no way I can cover all the details of this plan here, these are some highlights:
• Single payer national health insurance means that our health care costs will be paid by one source (ie. the federal government or a subcontracting entity) using tax revenue from individuals and employers.
• All medically necessary services are covered, including primary care and prevention, prescription drugs, long term care, mental health, substance abuse treatment, dental services, and vision care.
• Care will still be provided privately at hospitals and clinics but paid for publicly.
• Coverage is uninterrupted and equal for everyone, regardless of employment status.
As physicians we are uniquely capable of understanding the plight of the uninsured patient but are often very quiet as a group. We must educate ourselves, engage in the national debate and at the very least have an informed opinion regarding this issue for the benefit of our patients and ourselves. Please email me at [email protected], or approach me at our spring meeting in Arizona if you have questions or would just like to discuss this further. I have included several resources below for you to investigate single payer as well the other proposals.
Single payer resources:
• Physicians for a National Healthcare Program: http://pnhp.org/
• Healthcare Now: http://www.healthcare-now.org/
Investigate other plans:
• Kaiser Family Foundation: http://healthreform.kff.org/ (Great website where you can learn more about and compare all the different healthcare reform proposals side by side, NOTE: Single payer is under Representative John Conyers bill HR 676)
Publications:
• Himmelstein DU, Woolhandler S. US health care: single-payer or market reform. Urol Clin North Am. 2009 Feb;36(1):57-62, vi. PubMed PMID: 19038636
• Woolhandler S, et al. Physicians' Working Group for Single-Payer National Health Insurance. Proposal of the Physicians' Working Group for Single-Payer National Health Insurance. JAMA. 2003 Aug 13;290(6):798-805. PubMed PMID: 12915433.
Great Pro/Con debate on single payer:
• Day JA Jr. Pro: single-payer health care: simple, fair, and affordable. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 Nov 15;180(10):920-1. PubMed PMID: 19897771.
• Diamond MA. Con: single-payer health care: why it's not the best answer. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2009 Nov 15;180(10):921-2. PubMed PMID: 19897772
6 American College of Medical Toxicology 10645 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 200-111 Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (623) 533-6340 Email: [email protected]
Calendar of Events
2010
March 11# # Update on New Antidotes and Drug Safety in the ED12-14,# # 8th Annual ACMT Spring Conference13# # Bites, Stings, and Arizona Desert Poisonings for the Desert Enthusiast # # Scottsdale, AZ
May11-14# # XXX International Congress of European Association of Poisons Centres # # and Clinical Toxicologists# # Bordeaux, France
September 11-13# # ACMT Board Review Course# # Cincinnati, OH
October 7# # ACMT PreMeeting Symposium8# # AACT PreMeeting Symposium9-12# # NACCT - Main Conference# # Denver, CO
November 8-9# # ACMT Seminars in Forensic Toxicology: Opioids# # Philadelphia, PA
16-17# # ACMT-Israeli Society of Toxicology (IST) American-Israeli Medical # # Toxicology Conference# # Haifa, Israel
December 13-14# # ACMT Seminars in Forensic Toxicology: ETOH/Marijuana# # San Francisco, CA
2011
March18-20# # 9th Annual ACMT Spring Conference# # Clearwater, FL
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• Follow website changes and updates
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Help wanted for the following:
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Suggestions appreciated at [email protected]
ACMT Unveils Website to Promote Medical Toxicology Fellowship Training ProgramsDavid C. Lee, MD, FACMT
I am pleased to announce the "official" unveiling of the toxfellowship.com website. This website was developed to promote the training of medical toxicology among physicians.Thanks to a grant from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the hard work of Eric Lavonas, MD, Howard Greller, MD, and Patrick Hunt, MD, we hope that this website and its sister website on the ACMT homepage will attract greater interest for Medical Toxicology. Please feel free to advertise and promote this site to friends and colleagues (especially to residents interested in applying for fellowship training). Please feel free to comment or email me directly ([email protected]) if there any questions concerning this project. Please visit the website on the ACMT website at (http://www.acmt.net/cgi/page.cgi?_id=75).
Toxicology in the National and International Media
Poison Gas Victims Sue for Damages
Were some dinosaurs venomous?
Trying to save money on drinks? Use cocktail cost calculator
Increasing use of embalming fluid by drug abusers
Ceremonial Candles linked to mercury poisoning?
Mass starling poisoning raises controversy
DRC-1339 induces renal failure in selected species
Possible breakthrough in 27year old Tylenol poisoning case
New Drug to Battle Jet Lag
American College of Medical Toxicology 10645 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 200-111 Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (623) 533-6340 Email: [email protected] 7
Code of Ethics and Bylaw Changes Approved by ACMT Membership
Medical Toxicology now has its own Code of Ethics. The Code has been adopted by the members of ACMT, having gone through an extensive review process that culminated in the official approval by the membership in February 2010. The College believes that it is to the benefit of our members, patients, and the discipline of medical toxicology to have such a document that outlines specific tenets of ethical behavior for medical toxicologists. Please click here to see the official Code of Ethics for Medical Toxicologists.
In addition, ACMT members also approved the following changes to the bylaws.
• An introductory statement was added stating that members must comply with the ethical standards established in the Code of Ethics approved by the membership.
• An additional qualification for Full Membership was added stating that physicians who are permanent United States residents, are actively practicing medical toxicology in the United States, and who have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited medical toxicology fellowship in the United States, but are ineligible to sit for the Medical Toxicology board certification exam because their primary residency training occurred in another country, can be admitted to full membership.
• An additional membership category was added allowing medical students enrolled in a medical school to be eligible for ACMT membership. These members shall pay reduced dues and enjoy all of the privileges of membership except that they shall not have the right to vote, hold office or become Fellows. Medical student membership will be limited by the duration of the individual's training program.
• An additional clause was added stating that a member can be censured for failure to adhere to the Code of Ethics by the Board of Directors. A member who objects to such removal, or such censure, may petition the Board decision by asking to be placed on the agenda at the ACMT membership annual meeting in order to appeal directly to the members.
• The number of members to sit on the Board of Directors was increased to 12 members from 9 members.
Click here to see the revised full version of the bylaws. Thank you to all ACMT members who participated in the electronic vote in February to approve these changes.
Award News2010 Medical Toxicology Foundation (MTF)Michael P. Spadafora, MDResident Travel Award
The Medical Toxicology Foundation (MTF) in conjunction with the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) is pleased to announce that Jared W. Pelo, M.D. has been named as the recipient of the 2010 Michael P. Spadafora, MD Resident Travel Award. Dr. Pelo is an Emergency Medicine resident from the University of Virginia School of Medicine and was chosen out of 13 outstanding applicants for this year’s award. Dr. Michael P. Spadafora was an academic emergency physician and medical toxicologist who was dedicated to resident education. After his death in October 1999, a scholarship was established to encourage residents to pursue Medical Toxicology fellowship training. This award is designed to ensure continued recruitment and foster the career path for new medical toxicologists. As the recipient of the award, the Medical Toxicology Foundation will provide funding for Dr. Pelo to attend the Eighth Annual ACMT Spring Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona this month. Watch for a written summary from Dr. Pelo in the next issue of this newsletter.
2010 Medical Toxicology Foundation (MTF)Travel Scholarship for UnderrepresentedMinority Medical Trainees
The Medical Toxicology Foundation (MTF) in conjunction with the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) and the Agency for Disease Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is pleased to announce Benjamin Orozco, M.D. as the inaugural recipient of the Travel Scholarship for Underrepresented Minority Medical Trainees. Dr. Orozco is an Emergency Medicine resident from the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN. The Medical Toxicology Foundation recognizes that environmental contaminants have a disproportionate impact on African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American communities and believes that increasing medical student and medical resident exposure to medical toxicology will begin the process of increasing diversity within the field as a step in addressing this toxicologic health disparity. As the recipient of the award, the Medical Toxicology Foundation will provide funding for Dr. Orozco to attend the Eighth Annual ACMT Spring Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona this month. This travel scholarship is supported in part by a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
8 American College of Medical Toxicology 10645 N. Tatum Blvd. Suite 200-111 Phoenix, AZ 85028 Phone: (623) 533-6340 Email: [email protected]
This Month in JMT
Methamphetamine Laboratory Exposure
In the December 2009 edition of the Journal of Medical Toxicology, Thrasher et. al. publish a descriptive study on exposures to methamphetamine laboratories (Thrasher et al: Health Effects from Reported Exposure to Methamphetamine Labs: A Poison Center-Based Study. J Med Tox 2009;5:200-204.) The authors looked back at four and a half years (Jan. 2000- June 2004) of poison center data from Washington State. They found that the majority of methamphetamine laboratory exposures occurred in private households. A significant number of exposures occurred in both law enforcement officials and children in addition to “cooks”. Symptoms most frequently reported included: Headache, nausea or vomiting, airway irritation, and mucus membrane irritation. The authors conclude that illicit methamphetamine labs are a public health concern.
Global Toxicology Website is Now Active
Thanks to support and input from the ACMT International Committee, Rais Vohra, MD has created a global toxicology website. The goal is to fulfill a great need for free quality toxicology education worldwide and focus much needed attention on clinical and research challenges in global toxicology. ACMT members are encouraged to visit this website to provide feedback or suggestions, and contribute slides, images, teaching cases, or lectures. The aim is for ACMT to create a global toxicology directory that will be valuable in coordinating international toxicology rotations, research amongst toxicologists, and education. Please visit the website at www.globaltoxicology.org.
The website is a work in progress. Rais Vohra would like to invite other ACMT members to review this project. Also, for those members with similar interests who would like to assist with the further development of this project, please contact Rais directly: [email protected]
Board of DirectorsErica Liebelt, MD, FACMT — PresidentLewis Nelson, MD, FACMT— Vice PresidentSuzanne White, MD, FACMT — Secretary-TreasurerLeslie Dye MD, FACMTHoward Greller, MD, FACMTCharles McKay, MD, FACMTStephen Munday, MD, FACMTMichelle Ruha, MD, FACMTCurtis Snook, MD, FACMT
StaffTricia Steffey - Administrative AssistantJim Wiggins, MPH - Educational CoordinatorPaul Wax, MD, FACMT - Executive Director
Membership Renewal ReminderIf you have not done so, please renew your ACMT membership. Renewal can be done online at: http://www.acmt.net.
ACMT members please share with us any news of yourself or ACMT colleagues. We would like to hear about awards, grants, collaborations, moves, promotions, interviews, media interactions, invited national or international presentations or any other accomplishments for incorporation into our bimonthly newsletter. How do you like the new format of the newsletter? Send information to [email protected]
Thank you - The Editors
Josef Thundiyil ([email protected])
Craig Smollin ([email protected]).