[Gastric lavage, hemodialysis and specific antidotes in acutely poisoned patients treated at the Specialist Hospital in Biała Podlaska (1993, 2001 and 2002)]

Abstract

Gut decontamination, the methods of extracorporeal elimination of poisons and antidote use are the specific measures in clinical toxicology. Statistically they are not often used in intoxicated patients. It is not known, in how many cases of poisoning treated outside toxicological units are they applied. Approximately 110 poisoned patients were hospitalised each year in the Specialist Hospital in Biała Podlaska in years 1993, 2001 and 2002. Gastric lavage was performed in about 50 percent of those cases, especially often in children up till third year of life and in the cases of poisoning with medical drugs. The Gut Decontamination Position Statement of AACT and EAPCCT, published in 1997, had no significant impact on use of decontamination procedures in our hospital. Haemodialyses were performed in 3-5% of poisoned patients. All those patients were poisoned with ethylene glycol or methanol. Only 4 specific antidotes were used in years 1993, 2001 and 2002. The most commonly used antidote was ethanol, despite its level is not measured in our laboratory. Recommendations for gut decontamination should be widely popularised. The use of activated charcoal may be in many cases more suitable as a gastric lavage. Safe and effective use of ethanol as an antidote in a hospital requires its measuring in own laboratory.