Inpatient & Consultation

Inpatient and Consultation Service

As the largest medical toxicology program in Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and West Virginia, we provide an inpatient and consultation service that can deal with the most difficult and life-threatening poisonings or envenomations in this area. Besides providing inpatient hospital care, our service can also provide other medical professionals with a high level of expertise in diagnosing and managing the care of poisoned patients through our consultation service.

Some of the key benefits in having a poisoned or envenomated patient seen by a toxicologist are their intimate knowledge of drugs, chemicals and venoms and how to treat patients exposed to them. Toxicologists provide evaluation of inpatients with regard to diagnosing poisonings, ruling out poisonings as an etiology, or in helping to manage the care of the poisoned or envenomated patient. Toxicologists also have available to them special therapeutics, interventions, and specialists, when necessary. With an efficient system set up to treat inpatients, the result can be a shorter hospital stay and if needed, rapid psychiatric intervention and referral.

Specialized Inpatient Services provided by Division of Medical Toxicology:

  • Surface decontamination.
  • Extracorporeal detoxification.
  • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO).
  • Administration of specific antidotes and anti-venom.
  • Inpatient admission to the service of a toxicologist.
  • 24-hour psychiatric consultation services.
  • 24-hour availability of essential laboratory services provided through a toxicology-chemistry lab.

For more information or questions, please contact the following:

  • UPMC MedCall for consult & referral to the toxicology service, 1-800-544-2500, (412) 647-7000
  • Pittsburgh Poison Center 24-hour emergency line 1-800-222-1222
  • UPMC Medical Toxicology Service brochure - document
  • UPMC Medical Toxicology Pre-Hospital Care card - document
  • Information about the Pittsburgh Poison Center

UPMC Presbyterian/Children’s Hospital

  • 24/7 - Four full-time medical toxicologists
  • Treat: poisonings, withdrawal states, adverse drug events, envenomations (including Pittsburgh Zoo)
  • Adult & pediatric admitting/consulting
  • Complete antidotal/antivenom therapies
  • Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO)
  • Hemodialysis
  • 24/7 Complete toxicology lab

For additional information:

  • UPMC MedCall for consult & referral to the
  • toxicology service, 1-800-544-2500, (412) 647-7000
  • Pittsburgh Poison Center 24-hour emergency line,
  • 1-800-222-1222
  • UPMC Medical Toxicology Service brochure - document
  • Information about the Pittsburgh Poison Center

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing 100% oxygen in a sealed chamber. This concentration is five times higher than normal air we breathe. The chamber is also pressurized to create 1.5 to 3 times normal atmospheric pressure. These changes can improve blood circulation and the blood’s ability to deliver oxygen to the body.