toxidrome

Term: toxidrome

Literally meaning: “portmanteau word of toxic and syndrome”

Origin: Anc Greek

τοξικόν/toxikon(=poison used to poison arrow heads) >τόξο/toxo(=bow)

+δρόμος/dromos(= road, street) > δέδρομα/dedroma(=past perfect of verb “τρέχω”/trecho meaning run).

Coined/History 

In 1970 by American Howard Mofenson of the Long Island Poison Control Center.

Source

Mofenson HC, Greensher “The nontoxic ingestion” Pediatr Clin North Am. 1970, Aug17(3): 583-590

Mofenson HC and Caraccio TR: Toxidromes. Compr Ther 11: 46-52, 1985.

Definition

Toxidrome is a clinical syndrome caused by exposure to a given poison, drug overdose or a systemic infection. Common symptoms include nausea, dizziness, seizures, heart arrhythmias, lack of diaphoresis and mydriasis. Examples include the 5  basic toxidromes: opiate, sympathomimetic, cholinergic, sedative-hypnotic and anticholinergic toxidromes.