Proper gastric lavage at home can save lives for children and adults. Therefore, it is necessary to possess skills and have the right medications at home.
Cleansing the stomach is performed with intestinal infections, food poisoning, with the ingestion of drugs and chemicals, acute digestive upsets, and with the accumulation of undigested food in the stomach. In such cases, as a first aid, it is necessary to timely wash the stomach, which will prevent the absorption of toxic and toxic substances into the blood, preventing complications of diseases. A timely procedure will alleviate the patient’s condition, even in case of serious poisoning with harmful substances.
To cleanse the stomach, first of all, you need liquid for washing. To do this, take a solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) of a pale pink color, which must be filtered through a gauze or paper filter folded into several layers, as small crystals of the powder, not dissolved in water, can cause burns to the mucous membrane of the stomach or esophagus. As a washing liquid, you can take ordinary water, adding salt to it, which can always be found in the kitchen. For eight liters of water take five tablespoons of salt. This saline solution causes a narrowing (spasm) of exit from the stomach and does not allow toxic substances and toxins to enter the intestines. Performing gastric lavage for children under three years of age, to prevent electrolyte-water metabolism disorders, they give an isotonic solution of sodium chlorine, which can be found in a pharmacy.
The most effective means is the use of sorbent substances that have the ability to bind and remove poisons, microbes, toxins, bacterial or food allergens from the body. These substances include activated carbon. In this case, gastric lavage is performed with a solution prepared by adding five to ten tablets of coal pulverized into powder into warm boiled water. Enterorbents such as polysorb in the form of a two percent suspension (a teaspoon must be dissolved in 100 milliliters of water) or enterosgel are also effective. In case of acid poisoning, a two percent aqueous solution of baking soda is used as a rinse, and a mixture of citric acid is used when it gets into the alkali.
The washing liquid should have a temperature of about 36 degrees, for this it needs to be slightly warmed up. This is necessary in order to prevent cooling of the body and slow down intestinal motility, which will prevent the movement of toxic substances through the stomach and intestines.
The total volume of liquid for cleansing the stomach of a child up to a year is 700-800 ml, older than a year - one liter for each year of the baby's life, but not more than 10 liters. This volume of fluid is divided into several doses, each of which must be completed by washing the stomach.
Cleansing is performed by artificially inducing vomiting; this gastric lavage technique is achieved by mechanical irritation of the pharynx and soft palate. Before starting the procedure, the child must be seated on a chair, covered in front with an oilcloth or towel, put a tray to his mouth or put a large bowl on the floor. Weakened children who are in bed should turn their heads to their sides so that they are below the torso. The prepared container must be raised. Gastric lavage is performed until clean rinsing water begins to emerge. After completion of the process, rinse your mouth with boiled warm water.