Poisoning whole-bowel irrigation

American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and European Association of Poisons Centers and Clinical Toxicologists. Position paper whole Bowel irrigation. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 2004 42(6) 843-54. 

Previously popular, primary decontamination with gastric lavage, emetics, whole bowel irrigation and cathartics may not be effective in preventing or delaying enteric absorption of poisons [9-12]. In contrast, multiple-dose oral activated charcoal is an effective method of enteric decontamination for a wide variety of ingestions [13]. However, all enteric decontamination procedures are contraindicated in petroleum distillate and caustic ingestions. 

Tenenbein M. American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, European Association of Poison Centres and Clinical Toxicologists. Position statement Whole bowel irrigation. J Toxicol CUn Toxicol 1997 35 753— 762. 

The current consensus is that syrup of ipecac should not be administered routinely in the management of poisoned patients. In studies with various marker substances, the beneficial effects of ipecac-induced emesis were highly variable and diminished rapidly with time. In addition, initial use of ipecac in fact may be counterproductive by reducing the efficacy of other, later, and presumably more effective treatments such as use of activated charcoal, oral antidotes, and whole bowel irrigation (WBI). Ipecac may be indicated when it can be administered to conscious, alert patients within 60 minutes of poisoning. 

Activated charcoal and whole bowel irrigation are the preferred methods of removal of ingested poisons from the body. Activated charcoal binds with the poison and the body cannot absorb... 

E. Whole-bowel irrigation. Whole-bowel irrigation has become an accepted method for elimination of some dmgs and poisons from the gut. The technique makes use of a surgical bowel-clean sing solution containing a nonabsorbable... 

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