Activated charcoal powder - poisoning effect

by Minjae Kim storyteller

Origin of Poisoning Treatment

In 1831, French physician P.F. Touery left a remarkable case in the study of charcoal therapy by consuming what he thought was the lethal dose of strychnine, known as one of the deadliest poisons. He used activated charcoal as a remedy for poisoning, and as a result, he survived. This pioneering act led to a new method for treating poisoning in humanity, leading to the use of activated charcoal.

Production of Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal is produced by pyrolyzing wood at high temperatures. When wood is pyrolyzed at around 500 degrees Celsius and then heated to around 1000 degrees Celsius by injecting carbon dioxide or steam, charcoal is formed. During this process, the wood forms tiny pores, which endows it with an enormously large surface area. Activated charcoal consists of activated carbon, which has the property of strongly absorbing organic substances.

Application of Charcoal in Poisoning Treatment

Activated charcoal is widely used in the emergency treatment of poisoned patients. It is used to absorb toxic substances in the gastrointestinal tract and even removes toxins from the capillaries of the intestines. During this process, it also has the effect of reabsorbing and removing toxic substances in the blood. Activated charcoal is also used when intravenous injections are administered excessively to absorb and remove toxic substances.

Evolution of Poisoning Treatment

More than 95% of poisoning patients rushing to hospital emergency rooms are known to be due to suicide attempts. In the past, these patients were mainly treated with gastric lavage. Gastric lavage is a treatment method that involves inserting a tube into the stomach, administering and removing saline solution several times. However, this method is known to have many side effects and little efficacy, causing psychological pain to patients. It is even difficult to perform on conscious patients due to the extreme pain, often requiring measures such as restraining their arms.

According to recent joint guidelines in Europe and the United States, gastric lavage is no longer considered a major method for removing toxins. This is because, except in cases where highly toxic substances such as gasoline or herbicides are absorbed into the digestive tract, the side effects and complications of gastric lavage outweigh its effectiveness. Therefore, charcoal has become almost the only detoxification agent used in emergency rooms.

Side Effects and Precautions

There may be side effects to taking activated charcoal. It can effectively absorb organic substances, which can reduce the effectiveness of other medications. Therefore, caution is needed when taking it with cold medicine or contraceptives. For this reason, charcoal is not currently approved as a food, and in hospital emergency rooms, it is used as a "human detoxifier."

Conclusion

The development of activated charcoal as a remedy for poisoning, stemming from the experiment by French physician P.F. Touery in 1831, continues to be used as an important tool for safeguarding human health to this day. The charcoal discovered by the French physician in 1831 is still used as almost the sole treatment for poisoning cases involving toxic substances.

reference : Activated charcoal powder - poisoning effect