Dr. Gustin’s Blog
- Dr. Barry Gustin
- November 6, 2025
- 7:23 pm
Microplastics in Glass Bottle, Not Just Plastic Bottles– New Findings
Since the 1950s, plastic production has soared, and single-use plastics […]
- By Barry Gustin
- alcohol toxicology, Cannabis, cocaine, Environmental Toxicologist, Environmental Toxicology, expert witness, expert witness testimony, Forensic Toxicologist, Forensic Toxicology, marijuana, Medical Toxicologist, Medical Toxicology, methamphetamine, occupational exposure, Occupational Toxicologist, Occupational Toxicology, opiates, opioids, overdose, Poisoning, postmortem toxicology, Substance Abuse, synthetic cannabinoids, testifying expert, testifying medical expert, testimony, Toxicology consulting, Toxicology Expert Witness
In cases involving drugs, chemicals, alcohol, or environmental exposures, toxicology can decide liability, causation, and damages. Yet many legal teams discover too late that not all “toxicologists” are created equal — and that credentials alone do not guarantee courtroom-ready science. Choosing the right expert is often the difference between a[…]
- By Barry Gustin
- agitated delirium, alcohol toxicology, autopsy, bath salts, Cannabis, cardiac arrest, civil rights, cocaine, deposition, designer drugs, dose-duration, DUI, Environmental Toxicologist, Environmental Toxicology, excited delirium, expert witness, expert witness testimony, fentanyl, Food, Forensic Toxicologist, Forensic Toxicology, heavy metals, hyperthermia, in-custody death, lethal arrhythmia, marijuana, Medical Toxicologist, Medical Toxicology, methamphetamine, occupational exposure, Occupational Toxicologist, Occupational Toxicology, opiates, opioids, overdose, Poisoning, postmortem toxicology, Substance Abuse, synthetic cannabinoids, testifying expert witness, testifying medical expert, testimony, Toxicologist, Toxicology, Toxicology consulting, Toxicology Expert Witness, Toxicology practice, trial, viral and bacterial outbreak disease, water
Toxicology sits at the intersection of medicine, chemistry, public health, and law. When someone is injured, impaired, poisoned, or dies after an exposure to a drug, chemical, or environmental agent, the central legal question is almost always the same: What actually caused this, and how much did it matter? That[…]
- By Barry Gustin
- ACIP, anti-vaccers, anti-vaccination, anti-vaccination movement, autism, brain damage from measles, CDC, communicable, complications from measles, contagious, death from measles, deposition, expert witness, expert witness testimony, FDA, measles, measles outbreaks, measles prevention, measles treatment, MMR vaccine, morbidity and mortality, outbreak disease, preventing outbreaks, Public health, side effects of vaccines, testifying expert, testifying medical expert, transmission, trial, vaccination, vaccines, virus outbreaks, vulnerable groups
Measles is back in the headlines. Outbreaks are popping up in states around the country. If you still think measles is a “disease from the past,” you’re not imagining it. Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000—meaning we stopped having continuous, year-round spread. But “eliminated” doesn’t mean “gone.”[…]
Cannabis products with high concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are associated with users developing cannabis use disorder (CUD) and schizophrenia, according to a new systematic review published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers reviewed the effects of highly concentrated products containing at least 5 mg THC or more than 10% of[…]
As Emergency Departments swell while suffering the repercussions of the Affordable Healthcare Act, our nation’s youth increase their use of mind-altering drugs, in particular, Ecstasy (Mollys). The number of emergency department (ED) visits related to the use of Ecstasy (MDMA) (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) has increased by a staggering 128% in just 6[…]
Statins are one of the most popular drugs. They reduce serum lipids implicated in producing cardiac and vascular disease. Statins have side effects and are well-known, such as liver disease and muscle pain. Now a new side effect has been discovered. Statin therapy significantly elevates the risk of developing cataracts[…]
A popular pain medication called Tramadol (Ultram) has been found to cause serious hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). This adverse reaction is potentially fatal. Tramadol is not a narcotic. It is used in lieu of narcotics. The study can be found in JAMA. JAMA Intern Med. Published online December 8, 2014.[…]
A novel class of synthetic hallucinogens that is being sold as a cheaper, more readily available LSD substitute, or even as LSD itself, is emerging as a particularly deadly drug, especially for young males, new research shows. A recent paper was published discussing the advent of this new class of[…]
by: Brian S. Kern, JD Some Steps Toward Tort Reform As healthcare delivery evolves, the medical professional liability tort system largely remains static. Judges and trial attorneys are forced to navigate endlessly complex rules and legal theories to achieve a simple end: compensating injured patients. Assuming that the United States is[…]
A committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has just a few days ago recommended suspending the sale of roughly four dozen generic drugs that are used for conditions including diabetes, depression, and hypertension because they noted that their approvals were based on flawed clinical studies conducted only in India.[…]
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing to prevent two sunscreen ingredients from entering the US market unless the manufacturers can provide new data proving safety and effectiveness. The agency published its proposal on February 25 in the Federal Register . The two ingredients — ecamsule and enzacamene — were among eight[…]
Powdered alcohol is now here. This marks the beginning of an entirely new problem for toxicologists. The key question is: Powdered Alcohol–Is is harmful? Several experts have weighed in on this and have offered up their opinions. Below is a sampling of these opinions. Substance abuse experts are concerned about[…]
A recent article by Dr. Segal in Medscape discusses two defensible cases that resulted in surprising horrific outcomes for the two doctors who were sued. There is a take home message and lesson to be learned embedded in these two cases. How Would You Have Handled Patients Like These? Being[…]
Marijuana is a commonly used drug. In some states it is legal. The following article appeared in the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, and it describes the correct approach and standard of practice in the treatment of marijuana overdose resulting in psychosis in the emergency department. The citation is noted[…]
An intranasal form of naloxone hydrochloride (Narcan, Adapt Pharma, Inc), a drug that stops or reverses opioid overdose, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under a fast-track approval process. Naloxone hydrochloride has long been given by intramuscular injection to stop or reverse the effects of[…]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning regarding increases in fentanyl drug confiscations and a potential increased risk for fentanyl-related overdose fatalities. According to the CDC, reports from the National Forensic Laboratory Information System, a program of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) Office of Diversion[…]
Dangerous prescribing errors afflicts all areas of medicine, and is more common that most appreciate. There are several types of prescribing errors. The following report appeared recently in Medscape and I attached it here verbatim.. Poor penmanship was once the bane of prescribing, and the cause of many prescribing errors.[…]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning regarding increases in fentany drug confiscations and a potential increased risk for fentanyl-related overdose fatalities. According to the CDC, reports from the National Forensic Laboratory Information System, a program of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) Office of Diversion[…]
FDA Unveils Sweeping Changes to Opioid Policies In response to the ongoing opioid abuse epidemic, top officials at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced plans to reassess the agency’s approach to opioid medications. “We are determined to help defeat this epidemic through a science-based and continuously evolving[…]
Single-Payer System: Why It Would Ruin US Healthcare Single-Payer Would Be Bad for Doctors A single-payer system—government-run healthcare for all—sounds like a noble ideal, but things quickly fall apart in the execution, according to its critics. Michel Accad, MD, a cardiologist in San Francisco, says that because a single-payer system[…]
A novel psychoactive substance, or “legal high,” that has hallucinogenic effects and potentially severe adverse effects is being sold to partygoers as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Although the use of 25I-NBOMe, also known as “legal LSD,” is currently relatively rare, it is sold under various names and in a range[…]
Medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer, according to findings in the British Medical Journal, 253:i2139, 2016. As such, medical errors should be a top priority for research and resources, say authors Martin Makary, MD, MPH, professor of surgery,[…]
Antihistamines are amongst the most widely prescribed drugs. Although easily tolerated by most, there are clearly adverse reactions in some patients, especially children. Here is a summary of a new study that documents these problems. Antihistamines are associated with a variety of adverse reactions in children, including headaches, sleepiness, rashes,[…]
Fluoroquinolones like Cipro, Avelox, and Levaquin are commonly used by clinicians to treat a host of bacterial infections including, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, diarrhea, sinusitis, bronchitis and others. Because of common musculoskeletal complications the FDA recently made rulings. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said today that unless they[…]
Medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer, according to findings published in a recent issue of the British Medical Journal. As such, medical errors should be a top priority for research and resources, say authors Martin Makary, MD, MPH,[…]