What to take in case of poisoning? This question has arisen at least once in the life of every person. You should be aware that poisoning can occur when eating poor-quality products contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms (food poisoning), when toxic substances are ingested by inhalation (inhalation poisoning), drugs are administered (injection poisoning), toxic substances or alcohol substitutes enter the body, when bitten by insects or snakes. What to take in case of poisoning and what urgent measures need to be taken depends primarily on the cause of the poisoning.
The most common food poisoning occurs when eating foods containing pathogenic microorganisms or toxins. Unlike infectious diseases with a similar clinical picture, the transmission of the infectious agent to another person does not occur. Bacterial pathogens are staphylococci, Escherichia coli, Salmonella. The carrier medium, as a rule, is a person. It can be a chronic carrier of bacteria in the intestines, nasopharynx, or the pathogen is localized on the skin, for example, with pustular diseases. The transmission method may be different, it depends on the localization of the pathogen in the body. Staphylococcus seeding products, culinary products. If the carrier of staphylococcus or salmonella is animals, then milk, meat, eggs are infected.
Food toxicoinfections are characterized by a short incubation period and the manifestations of the disease begin within a few hours after the microorganism enters the human body. The characteristic manifestations are nausea, frequent vomiting, diarrhea, cramping abdominal pain, fever, general intoxication. Improvement occurs after 1-2 days. Food poisoning can be of chemical etiology if plant or animal poisons get into food.
Common poisoning in everyday life, with an accidental or erroneous intake of household poisons, insecticides, drugs, surrogate alcohol. Child poisoning is extremely dangerous when children, attracted by colorful packaging, swallow medicines.
Diagnosis of acute poisoning should be aimed at establishing the etiological factor leading to poisoning. If possible, you need to properly interview the patient, examine the scene. It is important to identify and evaluate the clinical manifestations that are characteristic of exposure to an organism of a particular toxin. Laboratory diagnostics is aimed at identifying toxins in the body.
What to take in case of poisoning?
In case of poisoning with toxins taken by mouth, a mandatory procedure is to wash the stomach with a probe. In severe forms, gastric lavage in the first day is carried out several times. After washing, a laxative should be administered to the patient. At home, before the doctor arrives, you can independently induce vomiting, irritating the root of the tongue. Vomiting is contraindicated in case of poisoning with cauterizing substances, due to their possible aspiration. If poisoning by cauterizing fluids occurs, the stomach is washed in small portions of cool water. In case of acid poisoning, neutralization with alkali is ineffective. The patient needs to be given a solution of almagel or vegetable oil. Activated carbon or polysorb is used to absorb toxins.
If toxic substances get on the skin, immediately rinse the skin with running water. Acids are neutralized with alkaline solutions (sodium bicarbonate), alkalis are neutralized with acid solutions (a weak solution of acetic acid).
If the poisoning occurred by inhalation, the victim should be immediately removed from the affected area, an influx of fresh air should be provided, and clothing should be freed from tight clothing.
When drugs are administered in a toxic dose or bites of insects or snakes, cold is applied topically, 1.0 ml of adrenaline solution is injected into the injection or bite site. The application of a tourniquet is contraindicated.
What to take with food poisoning?
In case of food poisoning in order to absorb toxins, activated charcoal or any other sorbent (polysorb, polyphepan) should be taken. With repeated vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration occurs . In order to replenish the loss of liquid and salts, it is necessary to take rehydron or other saline solutions. In stationary conditions, fluid and electrolytes are replenished by the intravenous administration of saline solutions. In more severe cases, antibiotic prescribing may be required. Assign digestive enzymes: pancreatin, mezim, panzinorm. With diarrhea, imodium is used.
Every person should have first aid skills and know what to take in case of poisoning. But in any situation, specialist advice is necessary to avoid serious complications and long-term consequences. Despite everything, only a doctor knows the specific antidotes of toxic substances, and he will tell you what medications to take when poisoning.