Alek Q. Adkins, MD

Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program

An individual who is enrolled in an organized health care education/training program leading to a degree, certification, registration, and/or licensure to provide health care.

Emergency Medicine Toxicologist

Dr. Alek Q. Adkins is an Emergency Medicine Toxicologist in Pittsburgh, PA with special training and skill in addressing illness and injury caused by medications, industrial chemicals, biological hazards, and radiological agents. As an Emergency Medicine Toxicologist, Alek Q. Adkins, MD performs in emergency departments and poison control centers. Emergency Medicine Toxicology is a medical subspecialty that diagnoses, treats, and prevents poisoning. Significant diseases and conditions treated by Emergency Medicine Toxicologists include workplace accidents involving chemicals, drug abuse withdrawal, overdoses, exposure to animal and plant venom, radiation poisoning, and biological terrorism. Medical tests, procedures and therapies provided by Emergency Medicine Toxicologists include first aid, mechanical ventilation, antidotes, and gastric lavage.

Medical toxicologists are physicians who specialize in the prevention, evaluation, treatment and monitoring of injury and illness from exposures to drugs and chemicals, as well as biological and radiological agents. Medical toxicologists care for people in clinical, academic, governmental and public health settings, and provide poison control center leadership. Important areas of medical toxicology include acute drug poisoning, adverse drug events, drug abuse, addiction and withdrawal, chemicals and hazardous materials, terrorism preparedness, venomous bites and stings and environmental and workplace exposures.