Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
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Multicenter Study
Assessing the Effect of a Medical Toxicologist in the Care of Rattlesnake-envenomated Patients.
Rattlesnake envenomation is an important problem in the United States, and the management of these envenomations can be complex. Despite these complexities, however, the majority of such cases are managed without the involvement of a medical toxicologist. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a medical toxicology service (MTS) on the length of stay (LOS) of such patients. ⋯ Rattlesnake bite patients treated by a medical toxicologist have a significantly reduced LOS compared to those without direct involvement of a medical toxicologist.