Emergency Medicine, Medical Toxicology & Addiction Medicine
Dr. Carstairs provides independent medical-legal consultation involving emergency care, poisoning and overdose, medication toxicity, substance use disorders, withdrawal, and drug- and alcohol-related questions. He accepts assignments for plaintiff and defense counsel, with scope and availability confirmed individually.
Discuss a Case with Dr. Carstairs LinkedIn Request CV and Fee Schedule
Qualifications at a glance
- Board-certified in Emergency Medicine, Medical Toxicology, and Addiction Medicine.
- Emergency medicine residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego and medical toxicology fellowship at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center.
- Professor of Military & Emergency Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
- Distinguished Fellow of the American College of Medical Toxicology and Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians.
- Clinical practice as an emergency physician and medical toxicologist with Scripps Healthcare in San Diego County.
- Retired U.S. Navy Captain with more than 25 years of military service.
Areas considered for consultation
Emergency medicine: emergency evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, reassessment, and disposition; neurologic and cardiac emergencies; trauma and critical illness; and emergency care involving intoxication or poisoning.
Medical toxicology: overdose and poisoning; opioids, alcohol, stimulants, and cannabis; medication toxicity and interactions; withdrawal; drug-test interpretation; and exposure-related causation questions.
Addiction medicine: substance use disorders; opioid use disorder; fentanyl and other opioid-related care; alcohol use disorder and withdrawal; buprenorphine, methadone, and related treatment questions; and the interaction between addiction treatment, toxicology, and emergency care.
Selected additional areas: carbon monoxide, venomous snakebites, synthetic cannabinoids, plants and natural toxins, and environmental, wilderness, diving, or hyperbaric medicine questions within his experience.
Acceptance of any matter depends on the specific questions, relevant expertise, conflicts, and scheduling.
Expert witness services
Case screening, medical-record and literature review, standard-of-care and causation analysis, attorney consultation, written opinions and reports, and deposition and trial testimony. Some matters call for a coordinated assessment of an exposure, a substance use disorder, and the emergency care provided.
Conclusions are developed independently from the available evidence. An engagement does not guarantee an opinion favorable to the retaining party.
Professional background
Dr. Carstairs received his B.S. with honor from the California Institute of Technology and his M.D. from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. His emergency medicine and medical toxicology training was completed in San Diego.
His military and clinical leadership background includes service as an emergency department chairman, residency-program leadership, and Chief Medical Officer of the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. He led a Navy Shock Trauma Platoon in Iraq and served as a Diving Medical Officer with a Marine Corps special operations unit.
Research and teaching
His scholarly work includes peer-reviewed articles, abstracts, and book chapters addressing prenatal medication exposure, venomous snakebites, carbon monoxide, synthetic cannabinoids, plants and other natural toxins, neurologic emergencies, high-altitude illness, and alcohol. A current CV provides the detailed training, appointment, and scholarly record.
Start an inquiry
Please identify Dr. Carstairs as the preferred expert and provide the jurisdiction, a short nonconfidential overview, the requested assignment, and relevant deadlines. CV and fee schedule requests are welcome. Do not send medical records or sensitive case details until transfer arrangements have been confirmed.
Discuss a case | Emergency medicine consultation | Medical toxicology consultation | Addiction medicine consultation