In the United States, if poisoning is suspected, Poison Control (available 24/7 at 1-80) should be contacted immediately to obtain information from specialists regarding management. The focus of this article is poisoning from organophosphates, cyanide, ethylene glycol and methanol, laundry and cleaning products, mushrooms and plants, and carbon dioxide. Substances that are commonly thought to be harmless, such as water and most vitamins, can also be harmful if taken in excess. The type of poison, the amount taken, and the size and age of the individual involved are all factors that determine if a substance is actually harmful. She is managing director of Susan Mayor Limited, the company name under which she provides medical writing and communications services.Poisoning occurs when a substance that is inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin has harmful effects or even causes death. She has no stock options or shares in any pharmaceutical or healthcare companies however, she invests in a personal pension, which may invest in these types of companies. These include: NHS organisations, including the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Choices, NHS Kidney Care, and others publishers and medical education companies, including the BMJ Group, the Lancet group, Medscape, and others professional organisations, including the British Thoracic Oncology Group, the European Society for Medical Oncology, the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death, and others charities and patients’ organisations, including the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and others pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, and others and communications agencies, including Publicis, Red Healthcare and others. In this capacity, she has been paid, and continues to be paid, by a wide range of organisations for providing these skills on a professional basis.

SM works as a freelance medical journalist and editor, video editorial director and presenter, and communications trainer. Lead Section Editor, BMJ Best Practice Disclosures

Aspirin toxicity antidote