Management of patients with suspected but unidentified poisoning in the emergency department (Royal College of Emergency Medicine Best Practice Guideline 2025)

Poisoning can present with a variety of symptoms and should be considered as a cause in perplexing presentations. In general, deliberate self-harm with known substances is commoner than exposure to an unknown substance. However, children are at higher risk of accidental ingestion of inadequately secured medications or household products. They are also at increased risk of transdermal and respiratory absorption of toxins due to their different anatomy (higher body surface area to volume ratio) and physiology (increased respiratory rate).