It is erroneous and extremely misleading and confusing in a clinical setting to use the words "poison" and "[[toxin]]" interchangeably. Poison is defined above, whereas a toxin is a poison derived from an organism. For example; excessive urea in the blood (from renal injury) and snake venom are toxins, whereas cadmium is a heavy metal poison but not a toxin. This error includes describing a poisonous substance as being "toxic". | It is erroneous and extremely misleading and confusing in a clinical setting to use the words "poison" and "[[toxin]]" interchangeably. Poison is defined above, whereas a toxin is a poison derived from an organism. For example; excessive urea in the blood (from renal injury) and snake venom are toxins, whereas cadmium is a heavy metal poison but not a toxin. This error includes describing a poisonous substance as being "toxic". |