7.3 General Management of Poisons

The emergency's ladder (the treatment's exam-list): 1. The life-support (the ABC: the airway-breathing-circulation — the resuscitation first). 2. The decontamination: the skin's washing (the corrosives-and-pesticides); the gut's — the emesis's caution (the contraindicated: the corrosives-and-petroleum); the gastric-lavage (the early window); the activated-charcoal (the adsorption's modern mainstay); the cathartics. 3. The antidotes (the exam's famous pairs): the naloxone (the opioids); the atropine (the organophosphates — the reversal of the cholinergic); the pralidoxime (the OP's reactivation); the N-acetylcysteine (the paracetamol); the specific-metal chelators; the oxygen (the CO). 4. The elimination's enhancement (the diuresis, the dialysis — the severe cases). 5. The psychiatric's-and-legal's follow-up (the suicidal's aftercare; the police's notification — the criminal poisoning's suspicion).