Drug Toxicity

Drug toxicity refers to the harmful effects that occur when a substance, typically a medication or illicit drug, exceeds the body's ability to metabolize and eliminate it safely. It encompasses a wide range of adverse reactions that can occur in various organs and systems, often leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Understanding drug toxicity is crucial for healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers to mitigate its impact on public health. One of the primary mechanisms underlying drug toxicity is the alteration of normal physiological processes by the drug's interaction with specific cellular targets.

This can result in disruption of essential biochemical pathways, leading to cellular dysfunction and tissue damage. Moreover, drugs can exert toxic effects through various mechanisms, including direct cellular damage, immune-mediated reactions, and metabolic disturbances. The severity of drug toxicity can range from mild symptoms, such as nausea and headache, to life-threatening conditions, such as liver failure or cardiac arrhythmias. Additionally, individual factors such as genetics, age, underlying medical conditions, and concurrent use of other medications can influence an individual's susceptibility to drug toxicity.

The manifestation of drug toxicity can be acute, occurring shortly after drug exposure, or chronic, developing over a prolonged period of use. Acute toxicity often presents with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and respiratory distress, while chronic toxicity may manifest as organ dysfunction or failure, cognitive impairment, or malignancies. Furthermore, certain drugs have a narrow therapeutic index, meaning that the difference between a therapeutic and toxic dose is small, increasing the risk of toxicity with slight dosage deviations. Common examples of drugs with a narrow therapeutic index include certain anticoagulants, antiarrhythmics, and chemotherapeutic agents.