Summary BNF Drug Summaries - Emergency Treatment of Poisoning

Drug Summaries – Humza Ibrahim

Chapter 16
Emergency treatment
of poisoning
1 ACTIVE ELIMINATION FORM THE GI
TRACT
Activated charcoal given by mouth can bind many
poisons in the gastro-intestinal system, thereby
reducing their absorption. The sooner it is given the
more effective. Repeated doses of activated charcoal
enhances the elimination of:

• Carbamazepine
• Dapsone
• Phenobarbital
• Quinine
• Theophylline

Gastric lavage should only be considered if a life-
threatening amount has been ingested within the
previous hour.


2 DRUG TOXICITY
• Aspirin – activated charcoal within 1 hour
• Opioids – naloxone
• Paracetamol – acetylcysteine
• Antidepressants - activated charcoal within 1
hour
• Benzodiazepines – activated charcoal within 1
hour, and flumazenil
• Calcium channel blockers – activated charcoal
within 1 hour
• Ion salts – desferrioxamine mesilate
• Lithium – gastric lavage within 1 hours
• Digoxin – digoxin-specific antibody
• Heparin – protamine sulfate
• Warfarin – vitamin k




Chapter 16 – Pg 1
Compiled using the British National Formulary