Eating is one of the great delights of the human being. For this reason, those who cook try to fuse different flavors that stimulate the senses, in addition to leaving them satisfied. Nowadays, it is not only cooked to eat. It is also done as an artistic manifestation. Hence, it is not surprising that there are more and more professional chefs who receive recognition for what they do in their kitchen. However, cooking involves handling food, which must be done with great care, as it can easily be damaged or contaminated if not treated properly. In fact, eating contaminated food can be very detrimental to your health. On the other hand, those who have small children at home must take extra care when cooking and leaving food out of the refrigerator or on the table, within the reach of children. The smaller it is, the less aware it is of what can and cannot be eaten.
Sometimes, they can confuse certain dangerous substances with food and end up causing poisoning. In this case, in this situation, the immediate action is to go to the doctor for gastric lavage. This is also often done in the case of people who intentionally threaten their lives. But what does gastric lavage consist of? How is it done? Under what circumstances is it worth doing? What to do if there is no chance to go to the doctor? Is it possible to do a home gastric lavage? Knowing the answers to these questions is very important, since your life and that of your loved ones may depend on it. For this reason, we invite you to continue reading so you don’t miss any details and thus know how to act in an emergency situation like this. Let’s see it.
Instructions for doing a gastric lavage
Gastric lavage is a process that consists of emptying the stomach to prevent what is inside from passing into the digestive tract and ending up being absorbed by the body. Ideally, flushing should be done up to two hours after ingesting a toxic substance. It must be done in the hospital by a health professional who has the necessary training to avoid possible complications, such as aspiration into the lung. Under what circumstances is it advisable to perform gastric lavage? It can be done in the following situations: To remove toxic substances or poison from the stomach that have been accidentally or intentionally ingested. To extract drug overdose. To rule out active bleeding. Clean the inside of the stomach of food debris before doing a gastroscopy. Decompress the inside of the stomach when there is an intestinal obstruction.
As you may have realized, gastric lavage is a more common practice than you could have imagined. But how is it carried out?
The first step is to insert a gastric tube, either through the mouth or nose, until it reaches the stomach. The person should then be laid down and turned on their left side. This, in order to empty the stomach more easily. Next, a syringe must be attached to the gastric tube. The next step will be to use the syringe to remove the contents of the stomach. Then, 200 or 300 ml of physiological serum, previously heated to 38 degrees, should be placed in the stomach. Then, the entire stomach content is removed a second time and the previous step is repeated once more. Keep repeating this step until the stomach contents are completely clear. This is the basic procedure for performing gastric lavage. But what is needed to achieve it?
What do you need to do a gastric lavage?
For gastric lavage to be performed successfully, approximately 2,500 ml of saline will normally be required throughout the entire procedure. If the patient is a child, these amounts can vary between 10 and 25 ml of serum for each kilogram of weight that he has. The maximum is 250 ml, no more. After washing, it is necessary to introduce between 50 and 100 grams of activated charcoal into the stomach, to prevent any remaining substance from being absorbed in the stomach. In the case of children, the amount of activated charcoal should be just 0.5 or 1 gram for each kilogram of weight. Likewise, you need to know that, although it is a technique that can save a person’s life in certain circumstances, it can also cause some complications. Among the most common complications is the aspiration of fluid into the lungs, which can lead to pneumonia. In order to avoid these risks, some doctors recommend that the lavage be done while sitting, because in this position there is less chance that the liquid will end up slipping into the airways. Other complications that may occur are gastric bleeding, spasms, perforation of the esophagus, etc. In case it happens, they should be treated as quickly as possible in the hospital. You also need to know under what circumstances gastric lavage is completely prohibited. For example, when corrosive substances have been ingested, when there are thick varices in the esophagus, when there has been a lot of vomiting of blood, among other situations. But, what other recommendations should you take into account in case of intoxication or poisoning?
Tips for doing a gastric lavage
It is true that not every time we will have a vehicle with which we can transport the person who has been intoxicated. In such a case, we can wait for help to arrive at our house. But what are the first aid that should be applied in these situations? They are the following:
First, it examines the person’s airways, as well as their breathing and pulse. Then, verify that the person has indeed been intoxicated. This can be a bit complicated, but some of the indications that this has happened are: breath with a chemical smell, presence of a burn around the lips, difficulty breathing, vomiting, etc. Avoid inducing the affected person to vomit. In case you vomit spontaneously, it is important that you clear your airways. To do this, put a piece of cloth on your fingers and proceed to clean your mouth and throat. If possible, save the vomit. This will help experts to determine the appropriate medication to neutralize the poison that has been ingested. If you see that he begins to convulse, you should proceed to apply the first aid for this case, which implies clearing the area of the presence of sharp objects or with which he can be injured, protect his head, loosen the clothing, place the person side, stay with the person until medical help arrives. Try to keep her as comfortable as possible, as circumstances allow. Lay her on her left side to prevent fluid from straying into her lungs. If the toxic liquid has splashed on the person’s clothing, it is best to remove it and wash the skin with plenty of water. Wait for medical help to arrive. Knowing these recommendations is very important, since the person’s life may depend on it. In addition, this will give the medical staff time to get to your home and transport you to the hospital to perform a gastric lavage.