Outline

Overview

Clinical toxicology is concerned with the risk assessment and management of drugs, chemicals and venoms in humans. This unit introduces students to common poisonings and envenomations in Australia and provides a framework for the initial resuscitation and risk assessment of the affected patient. Principles of supportive care, decontamination, enhanced elimination and specific antidotes will also be explored.

Details

Academic unit	Critical Care
Unit code	CRIT5017
Unit name	Introduction to Clinical Toxicology
Session, year ?	Semester 2 Early, 2020
Attendance mode	Online
Location	Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Credit points	6

Enrolment rules

Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff and contact details

Coordinator	Paris Ramrakha, paris.ramrakha@sydney.edu.au
Administrative staff	Education Design and Delivery Officer: Silvia Pinneri silvia.pinneri@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Live+ supervised)	Final Exam MCQs, EMQs, SAQs.	40%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	2 x Short Answer Questions Online Task	20%	Multiple weeks	500 words;120 Minutes per SAQ
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Drug in a Hurry Online Task	10%	Week 01	90 Second Video
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Pecha Kucha Online Task	20%	Week 08	6 minutes 40 seconds
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Mental Health Act Discussion Online Task	10%	Week 11	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= Type A final exam ?

Drug in a Hurry - 90 Second Video

Students are to film themselves explaining, in 90 seconds or less, the important pharmacology and toxicology of the drug.

Mental Health Act Discussion

This task asks you to briefly describe a case you have seen, or a potential case, of a patient who has taken a toxic ingestion, and did refuse, or is refusing treatment. Describe the details of the case presentation, the risk assessment, and what treatment is proposed.

2 x Short Answer Questions

Students must respond to a set of 10 questions per SAQ in response to a scenario that is presented to them.

Pecha Kucha

A Pecha Kucha (PK) is a Japanese story-telling format where a speaker presents 20 slides and discusses each slide for 20 seconds each. Each student is to prepare a PK where topics will be allocated based on their indicated preferences where possible.

Final Graded Exam (Online)

The final exam is a graded, fully invigilated exam conducted via Canvas with the help of an online proctor. The exam will contain multiple choice questions (single best answer) and short answer questions. The exam will be timed for 120 minutes. Please note that the final mark for your exam will not be released.

Points are awarded for correct answers. No points are deducted for incorrect answers so all questions should be attempted.

This exam also contains short answer questions. Points available for each question are clearly marked. The use of brief statements and dot points is encouraged rather than a composed essay. You are not required to produce diagrams or graphs.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Please note, for this unit of study (CRIT5017) the late submission penalty will be 5% of the maximum awardable mark for each calendar day after the due date for 5 calendar days only. This is to ensure that timely feedback is provided to students. If the assessment is submitted more than 5 calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Special consideration

If you experience short-term circumstances beyond your control, such as illness, injury or misadventure or if you have essential commitments which impact your preparation or performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Module 1.1: Resuscitation, Risk Assessment and Supportive Care	Online class (10 hr)
Week 02	Module 1.2: Decontamination Techniques; Hepatotoxins	Online class (10 hr)
Week 03	Module 1.3: Enhanced Elimination; Renal Toxicity	Online class (10 hr)
Week 04	Module 1.4: Enhanced Elimination cont'd: Anticoagulants	Online class (10 hr)
Week 05	Module 1.5: Cardiotoxic Agents: Sodium Channel Blockade	Online class (10 hr)
Week 06	Module 1.6: Cardiotoxins cont'd: Beta Blockade, Calcium Channel Blockade and the QT Interval	Online class (10 hr)
Week 07	Module 2.1: Antipsychotic Drugs and Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome	Online class (10 hr)
Week 08	Module 2.2: Cholinergic Toxidrome and Agents of Chemical Warfare	Online class (10 hr)
Week 09	Module 2.3: Stimulant Toxidrome, Serotonergic Toxicity, and Anticholinergic Toxic	Online class (10 hr)
Week 10	Module 2.4: Sedatives	Online class (10 hr)
Week 11	Module 2.5: Alcohol(s) and Withdrawal Syndromes	Online class (10 hr)
Week 12	Module 2.6: Paediatric Poisonings	Online class (10 hr)
Week 13	Module 2.7: Envenomation and Poisonous Plants	Online class (10 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Online only. It is expected you will spend about 10 hours per week completing the unit.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University’s graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Explain the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of common poisons; To inform and create a robust risk assessment framework for every poisoned patient; To allow the rational application of appropriate decontamination and enhanced elimination techniques
LO2. Explain the impact of specific toxins on physiological systems;To formulate a rational resuscitation plan
LO3. Apply evidence-based principles and techniques to the management of common toxins
LO4. Apply and adapt resuscitation principles to the specific setting of poisoning
LO5. Critique the available literature and identify credible information sources for the management of critically unwell patients
LO6. Analyse the use of important antidotes.
LO7. Critique the use and indications of mechanical and extracorporeal techniques in toxicology
LO8. Demonstrate a holistic and sensitive approach to the poisoned patient, recognising the biopsychosocial aspects of self-harm and suicidal behaviour
LO9. Identify safety issues such as child protection and family violence and incorporate these risks into the management and disposition plan
LO10. Liaise with associated services, such as mental health and social work, in addition to critical care and single-organ support teams

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Closing the loop

We value your feedback about any aspect of the unit of study and your experience as a student of Sydney Medical School. To help ensure our courses meet your needs and maintain a high standard, we welcome your feedback at any time and we ask you to complete the Mid-Semester Evaluation Survey and the unit of study Evaluation Survey at the end of the semester. You can also rate any component of the unit using our star rating system found at the bottom of many pages as you progress through the unit. Your ratings and comments are anonymous and specifying what you liked and didn’t like about any of the learning materials, assessment items, discussion forums, feedback etc will help us to target our improvement efforts. Please note that your participation in this unit of study permits de-identified information about your learning experience and interaction with learning resources to be used for the purpose of improving the student learning experience.

Key dates
Key dates through the academic year, including teaching periods, census, payment deadlines and exams.
Student administration
Enrolment, course planning, fees, graduation, support services, student IT
Expectations of student conduct
Code of Conduct for Students, Conditions of Enrollment, University Privacy Statement, Academic Integrity
Academic appeals
Academic appeals process, special consideration, rules and guidelines, advice and support
Learning and teaching policy
Policy register, policy search
Financial support
Scholarships, interest free loans, bursaries, money management
Study resources
Learning Centre, faculty and school programs, Library, online resources
Health and support
Student Centre, counselling & psychological services, University Health Service, general health and wellbeing

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Details

Enrolment rules

Teaching staff and contact details

Assessment

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Special consideration

Academic integrity

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Closing the loop

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

CRIT5017: Introduction to Clinical Toxicology

Overview

Details

Enrolment rules

Teaching staff and contact details

Assessment

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Special consideration

Academic integrity

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Closing the loop

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect