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This text is 193 pages, plus the index. There are 35 chapters, each discussing a particular drug class or poison.

The text, as small as it is, goes beyond what is covered in most toxicology texts; subjects like snake and spider venom, ethylene glycol poisoning (very timely given the recent case of the husband dispatching his wife by spiking her Gatorade with antifreeze!), isoniazid, cyclosporine, hydrogen sulfide, and pesticides are covered, in addition to the usual suspects (iron, opioids, PCP, CO, NSAIDs, etc). The wide variety of topics should appeal to those who are looking for something a little “different.”

The value to medical technologists is twofold: one, the text explains, in most cases, the biochemical/metabolic effect of the poison (allowing it to double as a chemistry text/quiz) and two, the text will help to clarify WHY the Emergency Room physician would order certain laboratory studies for any particular suspected poisoning or overdose.

This text would be a valuable “keeper” for the technologist as a quick reference for potential lab testing, as well as a ready source for drug names within specific classes of medications/poisons.

Given the convenient page length of the text and the applicability of the material to laboratory practice, this is a worthwhile offering for technologists and perhaps technicians who process specimens for referral testing.