The article will figure out whether activated carbon is possible for children.
The drug has been known for a long time and is an integral part of every home medicine cabinet. Adults take enterosorbent for the treatment of various pathologies of the digestive system, as well as to cleanse the body in case of poisoning. Many consider taking the drug effective and safe. However, questions arise about whether activated charcoal can be given to children under 2 years of age.
The properties
Activated carbon is an adsorbent, as it has the ability to absorb various substances. The drug is made on the basis of raw materials, which include carbon. It can be wood, peat, coconut shell, brown coal , etc.
What is the use of activated carbon?
At the initial stage of production, suitable raw materials are placed in a special chamber in which there is no oxygen, and processed at high temperatures. To create a large number of pores that provide high absorbency, an activation method is used. This method involves the processing of coal with certain substances or steam against the background of strong heating. Thus, a substance with a porous structure is obtained.
When activated carbon enters the digestive system, it prevents the absorption of toxins, drugs, phenol derivatives, alkaloids, metal salts and other substances into the blood. This is what the benefits of activated carbon are. This effect of the drug eliminates the symptoms of an overdose of drugs and other types of intoxication. It should be borne in mind that the drug does not absorb salts of iron, alkali and acid poorly. In addition, activated carbon is ineffective if poisoning has occurred with methanol, ethylene glycol and cyanides.
In addition to drugs and toxins, activated carbon is able to absorb gases. In this case, the tablets do not irritate the mucous membranes. The drug is not absorbed by the intestines and is excreted unchanged from the body. The period of elimination of tablets is one day.
To achieve maximum effect, it is necessary to take the drug in the first hours after the detection of signs of intoxication.
Indications
Activated carbon for children 2 years old is used to solve various problems with the digestive system. The drug is prescribed for diarrhea, bloating, vomiting, as well as other manifestations of dyspeptic disorders. In addition, tablets are taken in the following cases:
- Flatulence.
- Hepatitis of viral origin.
- Food poisoning.
- Bacterial diarrhea.
- Rotavirus type infection.
- Salmonellosis.
- Dysentery.
- Gastritis.
- Functional diarrhea.
- The formation in the stomach of hydrochloric acid in excess.
In case of poisoning
Many parents are interested in how and when to give activated charcoal to a child at 2 years old. Most often, this drug is used to eliminate the symptoms of poisoning. For example, taking tablets is indicated for heavy metal poisoning or for overdose of drugs. Doctors also prescribe activated charcoal to remove allergens from the body. Tablets are taken in combination with other drugs for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, urticaria and other allergic pathologies. So it is said in the instructions for the use of activated carbon. For children, it is absolutely safe.
For burns
An effective treatment is activated carbon for extensive burns, as well as against the background of an increased content of nitrogen or bilirubin in the blood. Such clinical symptoms are characteristic of renal failure and some pathological processes in the liver. Enterosorbent will help to remove excess bilirubin and toxins. In some cases, the drug is prescribed to patients before conducting studies such as endoscopy or radiography. Thus, it is possible to reduce the amount of gases formed in the intestine.
But is it possible to prescribe activated carbon for children 2 years old? Indications for use of the drug, we have examined, and in age restrictions we will examine below.
Age restrictions
So, can activated carbon be given to children? According to the instructions, age restrictions on taking the drug are not imposed, that is, it can be prescribed even to newborns. Nevertheless, in the first years of life, giving the child even the most harmless medicine is possible only by agreement with the pediatrician. As a rule, coal is prescribed for diseases that occur in acute form, including poisoning.
Contraindications
Despite the apparent safety and harmlessness of the drug, activated carbon has a number of contraindications. For example, tablets are not allowed to be prescribed for lesions of the digestive system with ulcers, including colitis, as well as for intestinal and stomach bleeding. Activated carbon should not be taken with intolerance to its components, which is rare, but still occurs. Tablets are also contraindicated in cases of intestinal atony.
What else does the instruction for the use of activated carbon for children tell us?
Adverse reactions
There are few adverse reactions, as well as contraindications, but they are. So, feces after taking the tablets turn black, which should not scare patients, as this is normal. In some cases, taking enterosorbent can cause dyspeptic disorders or provoke constipation. With prolonged use, it is possible to wash out calcium, vitamins, protein and other substances necessary for the normal functioning of organs and systems from the body.
Dosage
How much to give activated charcoal to a child? The tablets are swallowed and washed down with plenty of water. For young children who have not yet learned to swallow tablets, the drug is crushed to a powder. Next, water is added to it, everything is mixed until a suspension is obtained. It is not recommended to eat and take the drug at the same time. Activated charcoal for children 2 years old should be taken an hour or two before or after meals.
Dosage for children is calculated by the weight of the patient. As a rule, it is recommended to take 50 mg of the drug per kilogram of body weight. So, a child at the age of two years, whose weight is approximately 10 kg, is prescribed two tablets at a time.
Most often, activated charcoal is given to children at 2 years of age with diarrhea.
Against the background of poisoning and after the gastric lavage, the child is allowed to give a large dose. The maximum allowable amount of the drug is one tablet per kilogram of the weight of the child.
The duration of taking activated charcoal for children 2 years old depends on the nature of the disease or the intensity of the symptoms. In case of poisoning, the drug is taken for several days until the condition of the small patient improves. In the treatment of rotavirus, intestinal infections, including salmonellosis, tablets are prescribed for 2-3 days. Enterosorbent is taken for about one week to treat flatulence.
Sometimes it may be necessary to prolong the course of treatment, however, the total period of admission should not exceed a period of two weeks.
The dose of activated carbon for a child at 2 years of age should be strictly observed.
Overdose
If the child takes more tablets than prescribed by the instructions and the attending physician, the following symptoms of an overdose may appear:
1. Nausea and vomiting.
2. Weakness.
3. Intense and frequent diarrhea.
4. Pain in the head.
Due to the fact that activated charcoal is not absorbed in the digestive tract, symptomatic treatment is recommended in case of an overdose. An overdose can take a chronic form if you give the drug to a child for more than two weeks. Such a condition can lead to exhaustion, intestinal dysbiosis and a decrease in the body's immune forces. For treatment, maintenance therapy is prescribed, aimed at replenishing the missing substances.
Interaction with other drugs
Since activated carbon has a pronounced adsorbing effect, it is not recommended to take tablets simultaneously with other drugs. This combination can reduce the effectiveness of other drugs. Between meals, it is best to observe a break of at least two hours.
Analogs
Enterosorbents are presented in pharmacies in a wide range, so if for some reason activated carbon is not suitable, you can choose a similar drug. For example, Sorbex or Carbopect are made in capsules. Enterumin in powder form is enriched with alumina, which enhances its effectiveness. For children, the drug is prescribed as part of the complex therapy of hepatitis, intestinal infections and allergic reactions. In addition, there is a group of modern enterosorbents that can be prescribed in childhood instead of activated carbon:
- "Polysorb MP". Due to the presence of colloidal silicon dioxide, the drug effectively eliminates toxins and other harmful substances from the body. It is produced in the form of a powder for the preparation of a suspension. Children can be given the drug at any age to eliminate the symptoms of food poisoning, functional diarrhea, renal failure and other diseases.
- Smecta. Due to the natural composition and safety of the drug, many parents trust him in the treatment of digestive and other problems in children of any age. The composition of the drug includes aluminosilicate, which is also called smectin. The drug is produced in a sachet, which contains vanilla or orange flavored powder for the preparation of a suspension. "Smecta" is often prescribed in pediatric practice to eliminate food allergies, as well as taking antibiotics to stop vomiting, abdominal pain, etc. Diosmectin and Neosmectin, which are also based on aluminosilicate, are the generics of the drug.
- Enterosgel. Available in gel form based on polymethylsiloxane polyhydrate. A thick mass binds harmful toxins and removes them from the body, while not harming the digestive tract. The drug is allowed to be prescribed even to newborn children, it has practically no contraindications and adverse reactions. "Enterosgel" is often prescribed for hepatitis, infections or intestinal dysbiosis, increased acetone, etc.
- Polyphepan. The composition of the drug includes hydrolysis lignin obtained by processing conifers. He also has no age restrictions on admission.
- Enterodez. It is made in the form of a sachet with powder based on povidone. The drug is prescribed for the treatment of infectious pathologies, burns, renal failure, etc.
Reviews
Activated carbon is a time-tested drug, it has been used by more than one generation. Reviews about the action of tablets in the bulk are positive, they are considered harmless and safe for use even by young children. Parents note that activated charcoal is an indispensable drug in the treatment of poisoning, bloating, diathesis and diarrhea in a child. In addition, the low price of tablets makes them available to a wide range of consumers. The only thing many parents complain about is the need to give the child a large number of tablets at a time. Even in powdered form, it is not easy to take them.