Expert system in clinical toxicology

Compared with other medical fields, clinical toxicology is probably easier to formalise because few heuristics are used and lots of data can be managed in a database, such as storing information about drugs and toxicological classes. From the beginning of the analysis, we have intentionally separated data and knowledge. In SETH, data on drugs, toxicological classes and advice can be updated within the data base application. The maintenance of data on drugs and toxicological classes is performed with an electronic dictionary of French drugs available in our University Hospital and is updated every three months (20). Only reasoning and toxicological classes interaction updates have to be done in the knowledge base.