Clinical Experience

Clinical experience includes all aspects of the evaluation and management of patients with actual or suspected poisoning and toxic exposures. Experience with patients of all ages is emphasized, including inpatient management, through direct bedside experience.

Fellows currently provide consultative services for patients admitted to Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) hospitals with toxicologic illness. Consultations originate in many clinical areas, the vast majority from the Emergency Department and adult and pediatric intensive care units. Fellows provide initial emergent consultation services, and follow patients until resolution. Off-site bedside consultations are provided in special circumstances.

Poison Center Activities

Fellows serve as the primary source of medical backup for Oregon Poison Center (OPC) poison specialists. Each fellow serves in this capacity two weeks out of every four. Fellows are provided with a digital pager, cell phone and other tools to facilitate this service. Backup calls involve a variety of issues related to patient care and disposition. Although our poison specialists handle many initial calls after consultation with the fellow, OPC is philosophically committed to providing physician availability to our callers; therefore, most calls from hospitals result in direct contact between the health care provider and the fellow. Faculty backup is available to the fellow immediately, 24 hours a day.