[Suspected poisoning. What kind of emergency care?]

Abstract

Most cases of poisoning are adults attempting suicide by ingesting sedatives. After an initial orientating check of vital functions and rendering any first aid measures that may be necessary, an on-site inspection is carried out (search for remaining tablets or packages, suspicious vessels or odd circumstances). This is followed by a thorough history-taking, where indicated involving friends/relatives, physical examination of the undressed patient and recovery of any suspicious substances (for forensic purposes). The therapeutic measures to be instituted will depend on the certainty of the diagnosis, and are broken down into the preservation or restitution of vital functions and specific measures such as pumping out the stomach, administration of active charcoal or antidotes.