Research

Faculty and fellows in the Medical Toxicology section have multiple active research projects, with a particular focus on Addiction Medicine, Global Health, and the human health effects of radiation. Faculty have received external research funding from multiple NIH institutes, as well as internal grant funding from the Emory Medical Care Foundation. In addition to fellows, trainees of all levels, including medical students, residents, and pharmacists also commonly participate in our research projects.

Recently, we were selected as a site for the ED-INNOVATION study, a multisite NIH-funded randomized clinical trial assessing the efficacy of extended-release buprenorphine in emergency department patients.

Current and former fellows have presented their work at national conferences including:

• North American Congress of Clinical Toxicology
• American College of Medical Toxicology Annual Scientific Meeting
• American Society of Addiction Medicine
• American College of Emergency Physicians

Our work has been published in Medical Toxicology journals including Clinical Toxicology and Journal of Medical Toxicology, as well as more widely circulated journals such as American Journal of Public Health, Chest, and Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).   

Selected recent publications: 

Addiction Medicine

Global Health

EVALI Outbreak

Epidemiology and Public Health

NACCT 2020 – Poster (research)

1. Calls to Toxicology Back-up at a Regional Poison Center, 2012-2019. Therriault C, Hon S, Moran TP, Carpenter J.
2. Characteristics and Trends in Lacrimator Exposures Reported to the National Poison Data System, United States, January 1,2000-December 31, 2019. Therriault C, Law R, Svendsen E, Chang A.

ACMT ASM 2021 – Poster (case report)

1. Cocaine Cardiac Arrest – Hassan, Andres, Kazzi
2. Resolution of Severe Sodium Nitrite-Induced Methemoglobinemia with Single Dose Methylene Blue. Filkins B, Debruyn B, Gittinger M.

ACMT ASM 2021 – Poster (research)

1. Circumferential Measurements: Hisssss-torically Discussed, Painfully Underreported. Eisenstat M, Carpenter J, Guzman-Soto A, Kiernan E.
2. Logistical Holes In Whole Bowel Irrigation. Suen K, Guzman-Soto A, Nogee D, Filkins P, Walsh C, Moran TP, Carpenter J.
3. Clinical Characteristics of Kratom Exposures Reported to Georgia Poison Center: A Retrospective Review. Palungwachira P,…Kazzi Z. (MODERATED POSTER)

1. Hitti E, El Zahran T, Hamade H, Kaddoura R, Mneimneh Z, Morgan BW, Kazzi Z. Toxicological exposures reported to a telephonic consultation service at a tertiary care hospital in Lebanon. Clinical Toxicology. 2020 Sep 1;58(9):886-92
2. Agarwal M, Lovegrove MC, Geller RJ, Pomerleau AC, Sapiano MR, Weidle NJ, Morgan BW, Budnitz DS. Circumstances involved in unsupervised solid dose medication exposures among young children. The Journal of pediatrics. 2020 Apr 1;219:188-95
3. El Zahran T, Mostafa H, Hamade H, Hitti E, Morgan BW, Kazzi Z. Toxicological exposures among the pediatric patients at a tertiary care center in Lebanon: the case for establishing a national poison center. Clinical toxicology. 2021 Jan 19:1-0
4. Hitti E, El Zahran T, Hamade H, Morgan BW, Kazzi Z. Telephonic Medical Toxicology Service in a Low-Resource Setting: Setup, Challenges, and Opportunities. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2021 Mar;22(2):450
5. Veenema TG, Moran TP, Kazzi Z, Schneider-Firestone S, Case C, Aldrich J. Radiation Injury Treatment Network Medical and Nursing Workforce Radiation: Knowledge and Attitude Assessment. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness. 2020 Sep 22:1-7
6. Ericson B, Gabelaia L, Keith J, Kashibadze T, Beraia N, Sturua L, Kazzi Z. Elevated Levels of Lead (Pb) Identified in Georgian Spices. Annals of Global Health. 2020;86(1)
7. Farah R, Ghosn N, Kazzi Z, Ammar W. Chemical incident surveillance launch in Lebanon. Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2020 May 1;58(5):847
8. Carpenter JE, Murray BP, Moran TP, Dunkley CA, Layer MR, Geller RJ. Poisonings due to storage in a secondary container reported to the National Poison Data System, 2007–2017. Clinical toxicology. 2020 Oct 10:1-7
9. Carpenter JE, Chang AS, Bronstein AC, Thomas RG, Law RK. Identifying incidents of public health significance using the National Poison Data System, 2013–2018. American journal of public health. 2020 Oct;110(10):1528-31
10. Adkins SH, Anderson KN, Goodman AB, Twentyman E, Danielson ML, Kimball A, Click ES, Ko JY, Evans ME, Weissman DN, Melstrom P. Demographics, substance use behaviors, and clinical characteristics of adolescents with e-cigarette, or vaping, product use–associated lung injury (EVALI) in the United States in 2019. JAMA pediatrics. 2020 Jul 1;174(7):e200756-. (KIERNAN LISTED)
11. Werner AK, Koumans EH, Chatham-Stephens K, Salvatore PP, Armatas C, Byers P, Clark CR, Ghinai I, Holzbauer SM, Navarette KA, Danielson ML. Hospitalizations and deaths associated with EVALI. New England Journal of Medicine. 2020 Apr 23;382(17):1589-98. (KIERNAN LISTED)
12. Reagan-Steiner S, Gary J, Matkovic E, Ritter JM, Shieh WJ, Martines RB, Werner AK, Lynfield R, Holzbauer S, Bullock H, Denison AM. Pathological findings in suspected cases of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI): a case series. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2020 Dec 1;8(12):1219-32. (KIERNAN LISTED)
13. Gold JA, Kiernan E, Yeh M, Jackson BR, Benedict K. Health Care Utilization and Outcomes Associated with Accidental Poisonous Mushroom Ingestions—United States, 2016–2018. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2021 Mar 12;70(10):337
14. Kiernan E, Click ES, Melstrom P, Evans ME, Layer MR, Weissman DN, Reagan-Steiner S, Wiltz JL, Hocevar S, Goodman AB, Twentyman E. A brief overview of the national outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury and the primary causes. Chest. 2021 Jan 1;159(1):426-31
15. De Olano J, Wang JJ, Villeneuve E, Gosselin S, Biary R, Su MK, Hoffman RS. Current fatality rate of suspected cyclopeptide mushroom poisoning in the United States. Clinical toxicology. 2021 Jan 2;59(1):24-7
16. Land ME, Wetzel M, Geller RJ, Steck AR, Grunwell JR. Adult opioid poisonings by drug, intent, and resource use from the United States National Poison Data System from 2005–2018. Clinical toxicology. 2020 Jul 4:1-0

1. ALfaifi MS, Barada KA, Kazzi ZN, Mneimneh ZS, Hitti EA, Malaeb MA, Mustapha SA, Gittinger MH. N-Acetyl Cysteine to Treat Polygonum multiflorum Hepatotoxicity: A Case Report. Case Reports in Clinical Medicine. 2021 Jan 18;10(1):1-7
2. Kiernan E, Carpenter JE, Dunkley CA, Koch D, Morgan BW, Steck AR, Murray BP. Elevated Methemoglobin Levels in a Patient Treated with Hydroxocobalamin After Suspected Cyanide Exposure. The Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2020 Nov 1;59(5):e157-62
3. El Zahran T, Mostafa H, Hamade H, Mneimneh Z, Kazzi Z, El Sayed MJ. Riot-related injuries managed at a hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2021 Apr 1;42:55-9
4. Murray BP, Carpenter JE, Sayers J, Yeh M, Beau J, Kiernan EA, Wolf MJ, Bolton TA, Kazzi Z. Two Cases of Serotonin Syndrome After Bupropion Overdose Treated With Cyproheptadine. The Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2020 Dec 8
5. Hamade H, Sahin A, Sukhn C, El Tawil C, Rizk J, Kazzi Z, El Zahran T. Human Zinc Phosphide Exposure in Lebanon: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine. 2021 Feb;5(1):50
6. Sahin A, Layer M, Kleiman R, Punja M, Lopez G, Alotiabi S, Kazzi Z. Loperamide-induced Torsade de Pointes: a case report. Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2020 May 1;58(5):845.
7. Sahin A, Atti SK, Kiernan EA, Alotiabi S, Kazzi Z. The possibility of acute betel nut toxicity: a case report. Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2020 May 1;58(5):845

1. Kiernan E, Therriault C, Eisenstat M, Nogee D, de Olano J. Articles You Might Have Missed. Journal of Medical Toxicology. 2021 Feb 23:1-5

Active

Retained lead (Smith, Kazzi)

ED-INNOVATION (Carpenter, De Olano, Morgan, Steck)

SCOUT-ED (Carpenter, Steck, Sarker, Rupp)

CHOICE (Del Rio, Carpenter, Steck)

Applied for

Ortho/opioid pain (Steck, Schenker)

Toxicosurveillance (Sarker, Carpenter)