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Systemic Toxicity

Meaning

Systemic toxicity refers to the adverse, widespread, and potentially deleterious effects that a foreign substance or agent, such as a pharmaceutical drug or an environmental chemical, exerts on the body’s physiological functions and organ systems following its absorption and subsequent distribution throughout the entire circulation. Unlike localized reactions, this condition manifests as generalized dysfunction, potentially compromising the integrity of the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, or endocrine glands. Clinical assessment requires the monitoring of the agent’s circulating levels and a comprehensive evaluation of affected organ function markers.