Dedication

To the staffs of our hospitals, emergency departments, intensive care units, and outpatient sites, who have worked with remarkable courage, concern, compassion, and understanding in treating the patients discussed in this text and many thousands more like them.

To the Emergency Medical Services personnel who have worked so faithfully and courageously to protect our patients' health and who have assisted us in understanding what happens in the home and the field.

To the staff of the New York City Poison Control Center, who have quietly and conscientiously integrated their skills with ours to serve these patients and prevent many patients from ever requiring a hospital visit.

To all the faculty, fellows, residents, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and medical and pharmacy students who have studied toxicology with us, whose inquisitiveness has helped us continually strive to understand complex and evolving problems and develop methods to teach them to others. (Editors)

To my wife Laura for her unwavering support; to my children Daniel, Adina, and Benjamin for their fresh perspective, youthful insight, and appreciation of my passion; to my parents Myrna of blessed memory and Dr. Irwin Nelson for the foundation they provided; and to my family, friends, and colleagues who keep me focused on what is important in life. (L.N.)

To my husband Bob; to my children Robert, Marcy and Doug and my grandchildren Joey and Mackenzie; to my mother and to the loving memory of my father; and to family, friends, colleagues, and students for all their help and continuing inspiration. (M.A.H.)

To my wife Gail Miller; my sons Jesse Miller Lewin, MD and Justin Miller Lewin, MD and my daughters-in-law Alana Amarosa Lewin, MD and Alice Tang, MD; my granddaughter Isabelle Rose Lewin; and in memory of my parents. To all my patients, students, residents, fellows, and colleagues who constantly stimulate my being a perpetual student. (N.L.)

To my wife Helen, for her resolute support and understanding; to my children Addison and Alston, for their boundless enthusiasm and inquisitiveness; and to my parents. (S.W.S.)

To my children Rebecca and Ryan, Jennifer, Andrew and Joan, Michelle and James; to my grandchildren Benjamin, Adam, Sarah, Kay, Samantha, Herbert, Jonah, Susie, and Sasha, who have kept me acutely aware of the ready availability of possible poisons; and to my wife, partner, and best friend Susan (deceased) whose support was essential to help me in the development of the first ten editions and whose contributions continue to inspire me and will be found throughout the text. (L.G.)

To my wife Ali; my children Casey and Jesse; my parents; and my friends, family, and colleagues for their never-ending patience and forgiveness for the time I have spent away from them; to the many close colleagues and committee members who have helped me understand the fundamentals of evidence-based medicine and challenged me to be clear, precise, and definitive when making treatment recommendations. (R.S.H.)

To the memory of Louis R. Cantilena, MD, PhD. Lou was a wonderful collaborator, thoughtful intellectual, clinical pharmacologist and medical toxicologist who was a critical author for the previous five editions of our textbook. His warmth, enthusiasm and intellect will be missed.