title: Gastrointestinal decontamination of the poisoned patient.
abstract: Gastrointestinal decontamination has been a historically accepted modality in the emergency management of oral intoxicants. Theoretically, gastric and whole-bowel emptying procedures hinder absorption, remove toxic substances, prevent clinical deterioration, and hasten recovery. This article presents a current overview of gastrointestinal decontamination. It challenges the accepted precepts of gut decontamination and assesses the utility of syrup of ipecac-induced emesis, orogastric lavage, single-dose-activated charcoal, cathartics, and whole-bowel irrigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH 45429, USA.
authors.forename: Spencer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Singer
mesh_terms: D002400:Cathartics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002606:Charcoal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D005746:Gastric Emptying; D005751:Gastric Lavage / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007486:Ipecac / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011041:Poisoning / Q000628:therapy*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002400:Cathartics; D002606:Charcoal; D007486:Ipecac