Abstract
To enable consistency of investigation and the establishment of best practice standards, consensus guidelines have been formulated jointly by the UK National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) and the Association of Clinical Biochemists (ACB).
The types of laboratory investigation required for poisoned patients were categorized as either (a) essential common laboratory investigations or (b) specific toxicological assays, and also as either (i) common or (ii) specialist or infrequent.
Tests in categories (a) and (bi) are expected to be available 24 h per day, with a maximum turnaround time of 2 h. For the specialist assays, i.e. category (bii), availability and turnaround times have been specified individually. The basis for selection of these times has been clinical utility.
The adoption of these guidelines, along with the use of the NPIS online poisons information resource TOXBASE (www.spib.axl.co.uk), will enable the poisoned patient to receive appropriate, 'best practice' investigations according to their clinical needs and will avoid the use of unnecessary investigations.