Activated carbon - uses and pharmacology

Acute poisoning antidote

Activated charcoal has been used in the management of acute toxicity for almost a century. Its large surface area permits the adsorption of a variety of complex chemicals, thereby rendering toxic material unavailable for systemic absorption. In addition, charcoal may interrupt the enterohepatic circulation of compounds excreted into the bile. It is usually coadministered with a laxative, which may hasten the elimination of toxins from the GI tract, resulting in diarrhea and more rapid GI transit time.activated carbon granular

Clinical data

Volunteer studies suggest that single-dose activated charcoal is more likely to be beneficial if given within 1 hour following ingestion; however, benefit after 1 hour cannot be excluded for poisons with slow gastric motility (eg, anticholinergic substances/drugs, opiates, salicylates). Some authors suggest that activated charcoal is beneficial more than 4 hours following acetaminophen overdose.

There are no satisfactorily designed clinical studies assessing benefit from single-dose activated charcoal. One study of symptomatic patients who received activated charcoal and some form of gastric evacuation (eg, gastric lavage, ipecac, gastric aspiration) showed that patients receiving gastric aspiration and activated charcoal were less likely to be admitted to an intensive care unit.

Flatulence

Capsules of powdered medicinal charcoal are promoted for use in relieving the discomfort of abdominal gas and flatulenceGennaro 1995; however, limited clinical studies have been conducted to support this concept, and 1 study found no effect of charcoal on bloating, abdominal pain, number of flatus episodes, abdominal girth, or cumulative breath hydrogen excretion.coal based activated carbon manufacturers