About Lewis Nelson, MD

Professor and Chair
Department of Emergency Medicine
Director, Division of Medical Toxicology
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Synthetic cannabinoid use reaches new heights: K2 is not just a mountain on the China-Pakistan boarder

You are working a shift in the emergency department, and you hear the ambulance sirens. EMS is bringing you two patients, friends from a nearby shelter. Per report, the two men were “smoking drugs” together outside of the shelter. Bystanders noted that the 29-year-old man became increasingly agitated, shouting, banging on the door, and threatening his other shelter mates, while the other, a 50-year-old man, laid down on the sidewalk. EMS also reports picking up these patients in an area known for high “K2” use.

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By Lewis Nelson, MD|2017-03-05T14:18:46-08:00Apr 27, 2016|CME, Tox & Medications|

Fentanyl: Adding Fuel to the Fire in the North American Opioid Epidemic

Drug poisoning is now the leading cause of injury death in the United States,¹ with opioids accounting for up to 40% of these deaths. In the U.S., prescription opioid death rates have more than quadrupled since 1999, and death rates exceed those due to motor vehicle crashes.² Similar trends in opioid exposure and death rates in Canada suggest that it is not far behind. Prescriptions for opioid analgesics paralleled a rise in opioid abuse and fatalities between 2002 and 2010, leveling off between 2011 and 2013,³ only to rise again in 2014.⁴ Among the more frequently misused opioids nationwide are oxycodone and hydrocodone (the most widely prescribed drug in the U.S.) in their various formulations, and methadone, but a “rising star” in the epidemic in many regions is fentanyl.

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By Lewis Nelson, MD|2018-10-28T21:25:24-07:00Feb 29, 2016|Tox & Medications|

Considering a Medical Toxicology Fellowship?

Every year, EM residents ponder whether to do a fellowship. In the ALiEM Chief Resident Incubator, a handful are very interested in a medical toxicology fellowship, but I woefully am unqualified to provide any advice. So in a “phone a friend” moment, I boldly sent out an email requesting advice and insights. I received two amazing replies from Dr. Lewis Nelson (NYU) from a fellowship director’s perspective and Dr. Annie Arens (UCSF) from a fellow’s perspective.

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By Lewis Nelson, MD|2016-11-11T19:37:19-08:00Jul 23, 2015|Medical Education, Tox & Medications|