Activated charcoal (medication)

Activated charcoal, also known asactivated carbon, is a medication used to treatpoisoningsthat occurredby mouth.To be effective it must be used within a short time of the poisoning occurring, typically an hour.It does not work for poisonings bycyanide,corrosive agents,iron,lithium,alcohols, ormalathion.It may be taken by mouth or given by anasogastric tube.Other uses include insidehemoperfusion machines.
Common side effects includevomiting, black stools, diarrhea, andconstipation.A more serious side effect,pneumonitis, may result ifaspirated into the lungs.Gastrointestinal obstruction andileusare less common but serious adverse effects.Use inpregnancyandbreastfeedingis generally safe.Activated charcoal works byadsorbingthe toxin.
Whilecharcoalhas been used since ancient times for poisonings, activated charcoal has been used since the 1900s.It is on theWorld Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.
Activated charcoal is used to treat many types of oral poisonings such asphenobarbitalandcarbamazepine.It is not effective for a number of poisonings including: strong acids or bases,iron,lithium,arsenic,methanol,ethanolorethylene glycol.
Although activated charcoal is the most commonly used agent for GI decontamination in poisoned patients,  medical professionals use discretion when determining whether or not its use is indicated.In a study of acute poisonings from agriculturalpesticidesandyellow oleanderseeds, the administration of activated carbon did not affect survival rates.
Charcoal biscuitswere sold in England starting in the early 19th century, originally as remedy toflatulenceand stomach trouble.
Tabletsorcapsulesof activated carbon are used in many countries as anover-the-counter drugto treatdiarrhea,indigestion, andflatulence.There is some evidence of its effectiveness to prevent diarrhea in cancer patients who have receivedirinotecan.It can interfere with the absorption of some medications, and lead to unreliable readings in medical tests such as theguaiaccard test.Activated carbon is also used for bowel preparation by reducing intestinal gas content before abdominalradiographyto visualizebileand pancreatic andrenal stones.A type ofcharcoal biscuithas also been marketed as a pet care product.
Dentists who remove amalgam fillings using the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART) technique give the patient "a slurry of charcoal, chlorella, or similar adsorbent to rinse and swallow before the procedure (unless the patient declines or there are other contraindications making this clinically inappropriate)".
Claims that activated charcoal will do things such as whiten teeth, cure alcohol-inducedhangovers, and prevent bloating, are not supported by evidence.Activated charcoal cleansesalso lack evidence and are consideredpseudoscience.
Incorrect application (e.g. into the lungs) results inpulmonary aspirationwhich can sometimes be fatal if immediate medical treatment is not initiated.The use of activated carbon iscontraindicatedwhen the ingested substance is an acid, an alkali, or a petroleum product.
Activated charcoal is biologically inert. When in the presence of some poisons, activated charcoal adsorbs the chemical onto its surface, rendering it unable to interact with the body. This is possible due to its high surface area compared to its volume.
The use of charcoal as a medicinal product can be traced back toEgyptin 1500 BC, where it was used to neutralise bad odours from wounds. By 400 BC, thePhoeniciansused charcoal to improve the taste of water stored on ships by containing the water in charredbarrels, indicating that an understanding of charcoal's ability to adsorb undesirable chemicals was present by this time. Activated charcoal in its current form was developed during the 18th century, first being used during the sugar refining process to remove coloured impurities from raw sugar.Medical use of activated charcoal commenced in the early 19th century; an often-cited experiment demonstrating its properties was carried out in 1835, where a dosage ofstrychninemixed with activated charcoal resulted in no symptoms of poisoning being observed.