Gastric lavage represents a medical procedure that is used relatively rarely. Its goal is usually to save the body from poisoning, in which toxins are pumped out of the stomach.
What is gastric lavage?
Usually the aim of gastric lavage is to save the body from poisoning, in which toxins are pumped out of the stomach. Gastric lavage is mainly used for people who want to induce suicide with the help of pills. As long as the substances have not yet reached the intestines, it is possible to eliminate the toxic substances by gastric lavage. Accordingly, however, it is necessary that the affected person is found in time and treated appropriately. For gastric lavage, a specific tube is inserted and the stomach is filled with water. If the symptoms are recognized early and gastric lavage is applied, the method can lead to success. The sooner the lavage is applied, the better the chances of recovery are considered. Once the toxins enter the tissues or are further digested, other methods must be used to save the patient’s life. However, some dangers and risks exist. To control these, it is important that the treating physician has sufficient experience in the field of gastric lavage. Usually, the advantages of the procedure outweigh the disadvantages.
Function, effect and goals
In numerous cases, gastric lavage is used to treat poisoning. This comes about in most people in a suicidal intent by the affected people taking certain medications. Here, sleeping pills, tranquilizers as well as psychotropic drugs should be mentioned above all. Overall, poisoning is a voluntarily induced condition in about 85 percent of those affected. Only about 10 percent state that the poisoning occurred as part of an accident. If a child suffers from toxin ingestion, he or she is 80 percent likely to be within 5 years of age. Especially between the second and third year of life, children put many objects in their mouths. In this way, poisoning can occur under certain circumstances, making gastric lavage necessary. In the procedure, the stomach is pumped out and the mucous membrane is cleaned with it. If the patient is brought to the doctor early, health can be restored in this way, so that the poisoning usually has no further consequences. In the best case, flushing is done within a period of up to 30 minutes after ingestion of the toxins. This ensures that the substances are really still in the stomach. If certain tablets have been swallowed, the time window can usually be increased because many preparations are designed in such a way that the stomach contents are transported further at a slower rate. In addition, gastric lavage is suitable for cleaning the stomach before surgery. Thus, it is not uncommon to perform the method prior to gastric surgery to remove remaining food debris and facilitate the procedure. In case of obstruction of the gastric portal, the food pulp cannot pass the stomach at all or it is difficult for it to reach the intestine. In this case, gastric lavage may also be necessary to relieve the body. However, because such lavage is not a permanent solution, it is imperative that the obstruction be treated appropriately. Ultimately, a tube is inserted through the patient’s mouth and properly positioned. The irrigation fluid is a saline solution. This is administered in smaller amounts of 150 to 300 milliliters at a time. In total, there are about 20 liters of fluid in the patient’s stomach during a gastric lavage. The saline solution is then withdrawn through the same tube. The procedure is repeated several times. As part of a first aid service in a poisoning emergency, the affected person should be helped to vomit. For this purpose, salt water is instilled into adults as long as they are conscious. In children, irritation of the throat helps to induce artificial vomiting. Care must always be taken to ensure that the patient is not dizzy.
Risks, side effects, and hazards
Gastric lavage is not without risk. The greatest danger is spillage of the fluid into the lungs.If the saline solution does not reach the esophagus but enters the trachea, shortness of breath or pneumonia may occur. Gastric lavage must therefore be performed carefully to avoid risks. One suitable method is the insertion of a tube. This prevents any fluids from entering the trachea. In addition, gastric lavage is perceived by most patients as very unpleasant. Because in the case of poisoning it is not always clear which substances have caused the condition, many doctors do not use a sedative. This could have a strong interaction with one of the swallowed drugs and in this way threaten the health of the affected person even more. To prevent the patient from biting through the tube, a biting splint is applied. The flushing out of the stomach with a tube often causes nausea. Some individuals experience vomiting during the procedure. If the toxins have already severely attacked the mucous membranes of the digestive tract, gastric lavage is sometimes no longer possible. This would further irritate the tissue and possibly lead to a rupture. In this case, for example, administration of an antitoxin is an option.
