Screening investigations

The investigations that most commonly direct management of poisonings are:

• blood gas analysis
• blood glucose concentration
• electrocardiogram (ECG) (see Electrocardiography)
• serum bicarbonate and potassium concentrations
• serum paracetamol concentration.

In patients with a suspected poisoning, consider these investigations to identify potentially lethal ingestions (eg paracetamol poisoning) or effects (eg hyperkalaemia).