The current VIN date & time: Eastern

VIN Effective Decontamination Techniques for Toxicant Exposures (PHAR205) Self-Study

This course is a self-paced, non-interactive course.

Presenter: Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, DABVT, DABT, PhD
Course Open: July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022
Total CE Credit: 1.5
RACE Category: 1.5 hours Medical

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Course Information:
Acute exposures of veterinary patients to potential toxicants requires immediate attention to determine the risk of toxicosis developing and to take appropriate measures to minimize harm from the toxicant. Decontamination should only be performed when the risk from the toxicant is greater than the risks inherent in the decontamination technique being performed. This course will present rational approaches to patient decontamination including risk assessment, indications and contraindications of decontamination, and explanation of various decontamination techniques to employ depending on individual circumstances.

To earn a certificate of completion the participant must complete all learning modules and score 80% or better on the end-of-course test. Completion of the course will take a minimum of 88 minutes. Participants must complete the participation requirements by June 30, 2022 to be eligible for a certificate.

To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, the participant should be able to
  • understand the considerations that should be made prior to implementation of decontamination techniques, including indications and contraindications for each technique.
  • understand the rationale for implementing various decontamination techniques such as dilution, gastrointestinal emptying measures, dermal decontamination, and ocular decontamination.
  • successfully perform the various decontamination techniques described.

Level and Prerequisites: This basic VIN CE self-study course is open for enrollment to veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists actively interested in effective management of patients exposed to potentially toxic agents. This course is open to VIN and VSPN members only.
RACE Accreditation: This non-interactive course is approved for 1.5 hours of continuing education credit by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. (RACE 20-806536)

Course Agenda:

Module 1: Effective Decontamination Techniques for Toxicant Exposures
Total Time: 73 minutes
Video: 58 minutes
Handouts (1): 15 minutes
Polls: 5

Module 2: End of Course Test
Total Time: 15 minutes
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.

Module 3: Course Evaluation

To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive self-study CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.


Enrollment is closed.


Tuition: VIN/VSPN Member $35
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

  1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
  2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
  3. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to starting the course. If you wish to withdraw after you have started this self-study course, please contact the VSPN office 800-846-0028, ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357