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Please call 911 immediately if you are having chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, sudden weakness or numbness, or if you think you have a medical emergency. Aspirin Poisoning Treatment Self-Care at Home If a drug overdose is discovered or suspected, and the victim is unconscious, having convulsions, not breathing, or is otherwise seriously ill, call 911 immediately (or the local emergency phone number) for medical help. If the person who took the drug is not having symptoms, do not wait to see if symptoms develop. Call the local poison control center immediately. It is a good idea to post the telephone number of the local poison control center near the phone. This information can be found at: American Association of Poison Control Centers. Or call (800) 222-1222 if you have a poisoning emergency. Providing as much information as possible to the poison control center can help determine what the next course of action should be. - The poison control center, paramedics, and emergency department staff will want to know the following information:
- What medications were taken? Try to locate the medication's container.
- Precisely what is the medication that was taken; what is its name; how many milligrams (mg) is each pill?
- How much of the medication was taken?
- When was the medication taken?
- Was the medication taken with alcohol or any other drugs or chemicals?
- What is the victim's age?
- What symptoms are present?
- Is the person conscious?
- Is the victim breathing?
- What medical conditions does the victim have?
- Although ipecac syrup was used commonly in the past to make the victim vomit, it is rarely recommended today. It would not be suggested in aspirin poisoning due to the chance that the victim might develop altered mental status or convulsions.
Medical Treatment - The treatment of aspirin poisoning has 3 objectives:
- To prevent further absorption of aspirin into the body
- To correct dehydration and acid-base abnormalities
- To reduce the amount of salicylate within the body by increasing the rate at which the body can get rid of it
- Gastric lavage may be beneficial, unless contraindicated, up to 60 minutes after salicylate ingestion. Warmed (38°C) isotonic sodium chloride solution may be used. The airway should be protected before gastric lavage.
- Dialysis is another way to reduce the amount of salicylate in the body. The same technique that helps patients with kidney failure rid their bodies of toxins can also be used to quickly eliminate aspirin from the body of a person who has been poisoned with aspirin.
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Next Steps
- Prevention
- Outlook
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