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An oral suspension of activated charcoal should be considered in poisonings when gastrointestinal decontamination of an ingested toxin is indicated. Activated charcoal is most efficacious when given within one hour of ingestion of the toxin. Careful consideration of the contraindications should occur before treatment with activated charcoal. This activity covers the indicated uses for activated charcoal and, just as importantly, reviews situations where it is not appropriate. This activity highlights the role of the interprofessional team in caring for patients who may benefit from activated charcoal.
Park S, Lee HJ, Shin J, You KM, Lee SJ, Jung E. Clinical Effects of Activated Charcoal Unavailability on Treatment Outcomes for Oral Drug Poisoned Patients. Emerg Med Int. 2018;2018:4642127.
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Thomsen M, Vitetta L. Adjunctive Treatments for the Prevention of Chemotherapy- and Radiotherapy-Induced Mucositis. Integr Cancer Ther. 2018 Dec;17(4):1027-1047.
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Juurlink DN. Activated charcoal for acute overdose: a reappraisal. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2016 Mar;81(3):482-7.
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Hoegberg LCG, Shepherd G, Wood DM, Johnson J, Hoffman RS, Caravati EM, Chan WL, Smith SW, Olson KR, Gosselin S. Systematic review on the use of activated charcoal for gastrointestinal decontamination following acute oral overdose. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2021 Dec;59(12):1196-1227.
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