[Clinical-chemical diagnosis of poisoning]

There is a disparity between the number of reported cases of poisoning and the number of chemical analyses performed for the identification and quantitative determination of a particular poison. The aim of the workshop conference was to clarify the extent to which different clinics possess or require the necessary facilities for the investigation of poisons. The following summary of 16 lectures and accompanying discussion puts into perspective the present state of clinical toxicological analysis. Guide lines for the further development of clinical-toxicological analysis are formulated in the final discussion, where a plan is proposed for the incorporation of toxicological analysis into clinical chemistry.