Question

Content: acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) poisoning

A 5-year-old boy is brought by his mother to the emergency department after ingesting a bottle of acetylsalicylic acid. Which procedure should be initially instituted with this child?
Option 1: Administer ipecac by mouth and monitor emesis.
Option 2: Institute a gastric lavage and administer activated charcoal.
Option 3: Administer a chelating agent such as edetate calcium disodium.
Option 4: Institute a gastric lavage and administer the antidote acetylcysteine.

Answer 1

In the case of aspirin poisoning in a child, the initial procedure to be implemented is gastric lavage and administration of activated charcoal.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the case of a 5-year-old boy ingesting a bottle of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), the initial procedure that should be implemented is Option 2: Institute a gastric lavage and administer activated charcoal. Gastric lavage involves the insertion of a tube into the stomach to remove the toxic substance, while activated charcoal helps to absorb and neutralize the aspirin in the gastrointestinal tract, preventing further absorption into the bloodstream.