Fatal Salt Poisoning Due to Gastric Lavage With Hypertonic Saline

Two children who swallowed harmless amounts of toxic substances received a gastric lavage with hypertonic saline and died several hours later from acute salt poisoning. The clinical and pathological features, typical of this condition, are presented in detail. The relatively high toxicity of ingested salt Is discussed and shown to prohibit the use of hypertonic saline for gastric lavage and to throw doubt on its use even as an emetic.