SETH is an expert system for the management of acute drug poisoning. The aim of SETH is to give specific advice concerning the treatment and monitoring of drug poisoning.

Currently, the database contains the 1,153 most toxic or most frequently ingested French drugs from 78 different toxicological classes. The SETH expert system simulates expert reasoning, taking into account for each toxicological class, delay, clinical symptoms and ingested dose. It generates accurate monitoring and treatment advice, addressing also drug interactions and drug exceptions.

The implementation of SETH began in April 1992. SETH was then used daily by residents as telephone response support on drug poisoning. SETH is now in use in the Rouen University Hospital since 1992, and in external evaluation in three French Poison Control Centres (Grenoble, Lille, Nancy).

Evaluation: Between April 1992 and October 1994, 2,099 cases inputted by residents were analyzed by SETH. Since that time three phases of evaluation have been performed. It can be concluded from this that an expert system in clinical toxicology is a valuable tool in the daily practice of a Poison Control Center.

SETH is a hospital-based system and is also used as telephone response support on drug poisoning emergencies.

SETH has been developed by the Poison Control Centre and Adult Intensive Care Unit, Rouen University Hospital, the Information System, Computing and Telecommunications Department, Rouen University Hospital, and the Child Intensive Care Unit, Rouen University Hospital.

Stefan Darmoni, darmoni@chu-rouen.fr

Poison Control Centre and Adult Intensive Care Unit, Rouen University Hospital, 1, Rue de Germont, F76031 Rouen Cedex, France, Phone: (33) 35 88 44 00, Fax: (33) 35 08 81 28, Internet: http://www.chu-rouen.fr/