06.02 Treatment of Poisoning - General

For most cases of poisoning, there are no specific treatments (Figure 6.1). The medical care is to treat patients not the poison. Thus, the medical care is of the symptoms, and to support the vital functions (breathing, circulation) of the subjects. For a few poisons, there are specific treatments or specific antidotes (Figure 6.1).

Figure 6.1 Treatment of poisoning (Copyright QUT, Sheila Doggrell)

After promptly, maintaining vital functions, especially if their impairment is imminent, other treatments can be considered. The goals of this treatment is to keep concentration of drug/poison in crucial tissues as low as possible by preventing absorption and enhancing elimination, as this will obviously limit the effects of the poison. The second goal is to combat the pharmacological and toxicological effects at the effector site. This is especially important when it is not possible to get rid of the poison quickly. Examples of ways to prevent absorption, enhance elimination, and to combat the pharmacological and toxicological effects are now discussed.