Gastrointestinal Clearance of Drugs with Activated Charcoal

The mainstays of caring for patients who have swallowed poison or been given an overdose of drugs are inhibition of absorption (in acute poisoning after oral injection) or specific treatment (if any is available), enhancement of drug elimination from the body, and supportive care (in acute or chronic poisoning). Activated charcoal has been generally recognized as an effective adsorbent of many drugs and other potentially toxic substances. Administered promptly and in sufficiently large amounts, activated charcoal appreciably reduces the gastrointestinal absorption of such drugs as aspirin, acetaminophen, phenobarbital, digoxin, phenytoin, and phenylpropanolamine.1 2 3 4 5 Now, recent evidence indicates that activated charcoal not . . .