[Extracorporeal blood purification for poisonings]

Abstract

Most poisonings that have resulted in hospitalization in Finland are alcohol, drug or mixed poisonings of adults. If the quantity of the drug or the poison is high or organ injury is anticipated, the patients may require extracorporeal blood purification in order to eliminate the substance or its metabolic products from the circulation. Hemodialysis or hemodiafiltration are used as the treatment, if the substance having caused the poisoning is water-soluble, binds to proteins only to a small extent, and has a low molecular weight and small distribution of volume. Fat-soluble substances are eliminated by using hemoperfusion, those having bound to proteins by using albumin dialysis.