Intervention therapy in poisoning

Abstract

Drug intoxication, either intentional or accidental, is a major clinical problem in the United States. In 1995, over 2 million cases of toxic exposure were reported. Over 400,000 of these cases required treatment in health care settings, and 724 patients died. The management of acutely poisoned patients involves initial resuscitation, decontamination, administration of antidote and elimination of ingested toxins from the body. Drug elimination can be enhanced by methods that include multi-dose activated charcoal, acid/alkaline diuresis, hemodialysis and hemoperfusion. The indications for these methods depend on the clinical status of the patient, and the choice of the procedure also depends on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the drug.