Toxicology in the Acute Medical Unit

Thursday 2 July 2026

Courses

Thu 2 Jul 2026 | online half day course

13:00 - 16:45

Online

Activity code: 3 credits applied for

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Overview

Overview

Acute overdose and poisoning are common presentations across emergency departments and acute medical units, often requiring rapid assessment and complex decision-making.

This practical, case-based online half day course will explore the assessment and management of commonly encountered toxicology presentations, with a focus on delivering safe and effective care in acute settings. Through real-world scenarios and expert-led discussion, delegates will gain practical insight into current toxicology challenges, emerging trends in recreational drug use, overdose management, and complex treatment decisions.

This event will help you:

• Explore current approaches to managing acute recreational drug toxicity, including emerging challenges associated with nitazenes, ketamine, and nitrous oxide
• Understand the role of naloxone and flumazenil in preventing respiratory arrest following overdose
• Review practical approaches to the assessment and treatment of paracetamol overdose
• Improve confidence interpreting ECG findings and managing mixed cardiotoxic overdoses
• Consider practical and legal approaches to treatment refusal and assessment of capacity in acute toxicology settings
• Understand the recognition and management of marine envenoming and poisoning presentations, including the role of heat for analgesia

Who is this for?

This course is relevant to clinicians working in acute and unscheduled care settings, including those with an interest in:

• Toxicology
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Acute Medicine
• Intensive Care
• Emergency Medicine

Organiser: Professor Michael Eddleston, Personal Chair of Clinical Toxicology, University of Edinburgh

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Programme

Thursday 2 July 2026

12:45	Livestream opens
13:00	Welcome Professor Michael Eddleston, Personal Chair of Clinical Toxicology, University of Edinburgh

Session 1

Chair
13:05	Acute recreational drug toxicity: a guide for acute physicians Professor Paul Dargan, Professor of Clinical Toxicology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London epidemiology of drug use and new psychoactive substances acute opioid toxicity in the nitazene era *chemsex, * emerging issues relating to ketamine and nitrous oxide use
13:35	Waking patients and/or preventing respiratory arrest after drug overdose Dr Rebecca McDonald, Scientific Analyst on Health, European Union Drugs Agency *use of naloxone and flumazenil before and in hospital
14:15	Getting the treatment of paracetamol overdose right Professor James Dear, Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, The University of Edinburgh who needs treatment? how should treatment be delivered? *what new treatments are coming?
14:45	Break

Session 2

Chair	tba
15:00	Mixed calcium channel blocker, b-blocker, and amitriptyline overdose Dr Aravindan Veiraiah – Director, National Poisons Information Service Edinburgh *interpreting ECGs; use of HCO3, high-dose insulin, calcium, glucagon, vasopressors, intralipid, balloon pump
15:40	Lack of consent or treatment refusal in toxicology - a practical approach Dr Roger Smyth, Consultant Psychiatrist, NHS Lothian assessment of capacity in acute settings treatment without consent *relevant statute law in Scotland
16:15	Marine envenoming and poisoning - from near and afar Ms Carine Marks – Director, Tygerberg Poisons Information Centre, Stellenbosch, RSA heat-labile envenomation vs heat-stable poisoning use of heat for analgesia; *jellyfish, venomous fish, and seafood toxins in acute care
16:45	Thanks and close

Please note that on occassion event programmes may be subjected to change due to unforseen circumstances.

Fees

Not a Member of RCPE? By joining the College, you can save up to 100% on event fees for our symposia, courses and Evening Medical Update programme. Find out more about joining the College and our membership benefits via our membership webpages.

	Fee £
Standard Fee	£145
RCPE Fellow, Collegiate & Associate Member	£95
Allied Health Professional	£95
RCPE retired Fellow and RCPE Foundation Member	£45
RCPE Fellow in low or lower-middle income country	£0
RCPE Student Member	£0

Long term / other leave: Fellows and Members, please contact the Symposium Co-ordinator as some discretion may be available.

Invoices

If you wish your employer/organisation to be invoiced for this event, please contact the event coordinator. Payment via invoice is not available whilst booking online.

Free places

Unpaid post: If RCPE Member, please provide confirmation of status to the event coordinator in order to access this event for free

Refugee doctors: Free places are available to refugee doctors who are Associate Members of the College, please contact the event coordinator for more information. Associate Membership for refugee doctors is available free of charge. Please visit our membership pages for more information on joining the College as a refugee doctor.

Cancellation policy

If you have to cancel your place within 4 days of this event, we regret that we are unable to provide a refund.

The event will be available to view on-demand for 28 days after the live event, therefore, there is still an opportunity to view the talks if you are not able to attend on the day.

Booking Terms & Conditions: Please read the College’s full event booking Ts&Cs regarding event changes, CPD, and data protection in the event policies section on our Event FAQ pages.

Further information

Certificates

All relevant events are approved for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). To receive a CPD certificate delegates must have completed the online feedback survey. The survey will close 28 days after the original broadcast of the event on 30 July 2026, with certificates being issued shortly after this.

Certificates cannot be issued after the survey has closed.

Catch-up

Registered delegates can view this event on catch-up for up to 28 days following the live event until, i.e. until 30 July 2026. Please note that in line with Federation rules, the CPD period is 28 days from the live event. To obtain a CPD certificate you must have completed the online feedback survey by 30 July 2026.

If you are unable to attend this event live but would like to view this event for 28 days post-event and qualify for a CPD certificate (if feedback is completed), please register before the live event is due to take place in order to be given access. It is not possible to register for catch-up viewing after the live event has taken place.

Event co-ordinator

Margaret Farquhar

Telephone

+ 44 (0)131 247 3636

m.farquhar@rcpe.ac.uk

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