Inducing Vomiting (Apologies if you're eating!)

[bookend]

I remember years ago that many household chemicals and some medicines used to give directions that vomiting needed to be induced if the substance was accidentally swallowed. Usually, the advice was to induce the vomiting via a strong solution of salt water.

Obviously, I'm not thinking here of corrosive substances such as acids and alkalies which would cause as much damage coming up as going down.

My question is : why don't I come across these directions nowadays on packaging? What's changed?

Nowadays, virtually everything you buy that contains potentially harmful chemicals instructs you to take the patient to your nearest doctor or A&E/ER if it's been accidentally swallowed. Come to think of it, I also remember some substances had instructions stating that the patient should be given "milk of magnesia" etc

[Llamatron]

They're probably scared of being sued by some money grabbing lawyer for giving medical advice that some numpty retard couldn't understand so little Mercedes or Bobby Jo can't talk proper no more.

[Peter Pedant]

strong salt solution is NOT suirable for inducing voniting and has been associated with death from high sodiums levels in theblood.

[drestie]

But James Bond does it so well, Peter ;)

[kaztuz]

When a poison has been swallowed nobody should ever induce vomitting as this causes more damage. If possible drink lots of water as this dilutes whatever has been swallowed and take the person to A&E with the bottle/container.

[DaveH3]

So would this not increase the absorbtion rate of the poison by drinking more water, depending on what it is exactly. Just go to A&E ASAP unless you live out in the sticks then you need to get some advice over the phone from A&E.

[theprof]

The use of saline emetics has been discouraged in the official medical community for around thirty years. This is because an excess ingestion of salt causes a potentially fatal medical condition called hypernatremia.

Symptoms of excess salt intake tend to arise slowly. To begin with the patient will feel dehydrated as the increased sodium level removes water from cells. This in turn leads to expansion of blood vessels which may, as a result, burst. Drowsiness is also quite common.

The kidneys wiil struggle to cope with the excess sodium and may stop functioning altogether

Respiration becomes weak and fever can arise. The brain swells inside the cranial cavity resulting in seizures and sometimes, coma. Cardiac complications can occur as the malfunctioning brain cannot communicate with the heart.

Despite all these other symptoms, the brain oedema is the usual cause of death in most patients.

(continued)

[theprof]

Kaztuz is correct in pointing out that vomiting should not be induced following ingestion of poison as it can cause more damage. This is especially important with a corrosive substance .

However, drinking lots of water to dilute the poison is a procedure that is not advisable.

To begin with, the key to preventing harm to the body following the ingestion of a poison is two-fold, namely dilution and neutralisation. Whilst the water acts as the dilutent, it may not be the correct neutralising agent for the poison and this is where A&E departments come in. They have the experience to provide the correct antidote. Diluting a poison may reduce it's toxicity temporarily or not at all, but it does not neutralise its effect.

Another reason is that some poisons could react exothermically if water was sent down behind them. Whilst the stomach does contain enzymes, water, hydrochloric acid and other substances, these would not prevent a potientally catastrophic exothermic reaction when more water was added. The effect on the gastrointestinal tract would be devastating.

Another reason is that we have to remember that not all poisons are soluble in water. I'm thinking of the non-polar organic solvents such as chloroform and benzene as well as substances such as petrol. As these are all insoluble in water, the ingestion of water would serve no purpose. The same would apply following ingestion of toxic inorganic insoluble salts such as copper(i) cyanide, a popular chemical used in electroplating.

It's best to get the patient to A&E urgently with the bottle or container.

[theprof]

Incidentally, the hypernatremia symptoms I described are the sequence of events that typically occur when people use strong salt-water as an emetic or in those that have been poisoned by salt. You're in no danger if you're just sprinkling salt on your food at around the RDA figures.

In some circumstances DaveH3, absorbtion rates would be increased. It's a valid point and you've got the right idea.

[bookend]

Thank you all so much. You've cleared something up that's been vexing me for years.

Thanks again.