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tangent
12-29-02, 08:05
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1969 Mar;14(2):214-20
Induction of emesis by detergent ingredients and formulations.

Weaver JE, Griffith JF.
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J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1982 Apr;19(2):231
Emergency induction of emesis using liquid detergent products.

Cloyd GG.
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Clin Toxicol 1981 Mar;18(3):277-82
Emergency induction of emesis using liquid detergent products: a report of 15 cases.

Gieseker DR, Troutman WG.

Solutions of liquid detergent products were used to induce emesis in 15 patients who could not or would not obtain syrup of ipecac. Four patients refused to drink any of the solution and two others refused part, one of whom vomited. In the patients who drank all or part of the solution, 91% (10/11) vomited with a mean time to the onset of emesis of 6.5 min. None of these patients developed symptoms attributable to the ingested poison or the detergent solution. Liquid detergent solutions may be a useful alternative emetic for the poison center when a patient cannot be given syrup of ipecac.
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Also of note: I saw several citations that indicated that at least some detergents had antibiotic properties. Unfortunately, none were in English. – has anyone tried it in place of antibiotic ointment?

-t

Craig
12-29-02, 21:33
Tangent,
We dont induce emesis any more. No proven benefit and many reasons not to.

Craig

tangent
12-29-02, 22:57
EMS workers are still trained to administer it in cases of poisoning, but upon the advice of poison control.

what do you think should be used in it's place?

-t

Craig
12-30-02, 03:49
You dont use anything in its place. Id be surprised (or perhaps not :( ) if Poisons centres were still recommending it.

It only has any value very early on in a poisoning - 15-30 minutes. Its never been proven in decent studies to have much of an impact on serum levels or outcome and a vomiting patient is that much more difficult to manage (or to give AC to for that matter - but thats another debate althogether). Emetic agents are (in general) no longer available on oz and we havent recommended them for several years.

Craig

themadmedic
12-30-02, 22:09
What do you use in it's place?

Gastric lavage by NG tube:eek:

Yarrow
12-31-02, 13:57
it is interesting that you would bring this topic up... I have spent the majority of my adult life around amish... and they use concentrated lysol liquid with some water to disinfect wounds... they claim it burns (no kidding) the germs out...

they claimed that detergent was to "weak" as I asked that question... as a MD once told me to soak my son's hold in his foot from a nail in it twice a day...

some days home remedies are questionable... and for the most part I'm for home remedies...

Jonas Parker
01-18-03, 16:45
I have family friends who are Old Order Amish, and their favorite wound treatment is kerosene... I'm not certain whether I converted them to soap and water followed by an antiseptic or not.