Is there excessive use of gastric lavage in the treatment of self-poisoning?
An attempt to identify those factors which influenced the decision to perform gastric lavage in 236 cases of deliberate self-poisoning seen over 6 months showed that 87% of patients seen within 4 hours of ingestion of the poison had a lavage, irrespective of the number of tablets and nature of drug taken. Overall, 77% had a gastric lavage. Most of the late lavages were carried out for salicylate ingestion. The changing pattern of drugs used for attempted selfpoisoning suggests that at least 50% of patients are being unnecessarily subjected to gastric lavage.
D000082:Acetaminophen / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000506:poisoning*; D003657:Decision Making; D004739:England; D005751:Gastric Lavage; D006801:Humans; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000639:trends; D012459:Salicylates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control; D013607:Tablets; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D012459:Salicylates; D013607:Tablets; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents; D000082:Acetaminophen