Container residue after the administration of aqueous activated charcoal products

Commercial aqueous activated charcoal (AC) products may sit in emergency departments, pharmacies, and homes for prolonged periods resulting in the inability to resuspend the AC for patient administration. The potential risk to the patient from not receiving an adequate amount of AC, especially when AC may be the sole means of gastric decontamination, is obvious. To simulate this potential problem, samples of five different aqueous AC products (ActaChar, Actidose, InstaChar, LiquiChar, and SuperChar) were placed into storage for periods of 3 and 12 months. At the end of each study period, samples were agitated and the effluent and container residue were collected, oven-dried, and weighed. With the exception of Actidose, all products retained substantial amounts of AC in the container at both time intervals. These data stress the negative impact of dormant storage on the resuspendability of aqueous activated charcoal products. Furthermore, they suggest the importance of thorough container agitation and rinsing to insure that the patient receives sufficient AC. This is especially important when AC is the sole means of decontamination.     

Impact of activated charcoal after acute acetaminophen overdoses treated with N-acetylcysteine

Previous studies have suggested that patients receiving both activated charcoal (AC) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) after acute acetaminophen (APAP) overdoses may have improved outcomes. We evaluated all acute acetaminophen overdoses that received NAC therapy reported to US poison centers for the years 1993 through 2004. Groups were separated based on therapy received: 1) both AC and NAC and 2) NAC alone. There were 97,960 acetaminophen overdoses reported, with 49,427 patients (50%) receiving NAC and AC. Reports of AST/ALT > 1000, a major effect, and death were 1301 (2.9%), 2957 (6.6%), and 232 (0.5%), respectively, for patients receiving NAC plus AC, vs. 5273 (12%), 4534 (10.3%), and 369 (0.8%), respectively, for patients receiving NAC alone (p < 0.01). Use of Toxic Exposure Surveillance System data in the present study has a number of limitations, including its retrospective nature and no documentation of when NAC therapy was initiated. It is possible that those patients who did not receive AC presented to the Emergency Department later in their overdose and had NAC therapy initiated later, and therefore they were predisposed to a greater risk of hepatic injury. Evaluation of 12 years of acute APAP overdoses suggests that the use of AC, in addition to NAC therapy, may provide improved patient outcomes.     

Efficacy of activated charcoal administered more than four hours after acetaminophen overdose

To evaluate whether administration of activated charcoal, in addition to standard N-acetylcysteine (NAC) therapy, after acetaminophen overdose provides additional patient benefit over NAC therapy alone, a 1-year non-randomized prospective, multi-center, observational case series was performed at three poison centers and one poison center system. Entrance criteria were all acute acetaminophen overdoses with: 1) an acetaminophen blood concentration determined to be in the toxic range by the Rumack-Matthew nomogram; and 2) all therapies, including NAC and activated charcoal, initiated between 4 and 16 h post-ingestion. There were 145 patients meeting entrance criteria, of whom 58 patients (40%) received NAC only and 87 patients (60%) received NAC and activated charcoal. Overall, 23 patients had elevations of AST or ALT greater than 1000 IU/L, of which 21 patients received NAC only (38% of total NAC only group) and 2 patients received NAC and activated charcoal (2% of total NAC+AC group). Administration of activated charcoal in this series of patients with toxic acetaminophen concentrations treated with NAC was associated with reduced incidence of liver injury, as measured by elevated serum transaminases and prothrombin times.     

Foreign body granuloma of activated charcoal

We present foreign body granulomas induced by activated charcoal from intraperitoneal chemotherapy and mimicked peritoneal metastases in the patients with gastric cancer. On CT, they were manifested as a peritoneal mass or thickening with variable shapes, including oval, round, bizarre, linear and even a molded shape due to where they were lodged, such as the pelvis and paracolic gutter. All the lesions showed high attenuation relative to muscle on the precontrast CT and showed positive findings on PET/CT.     

Position paper: Single-dose activated charcoal

Single-dose activated charcoal therapy involves the oral administration or instillation by nasogastric tube of an aqueous preparation of activated charcoal after the ingestion of a poison. Volunteer studies demonstrate that the effectiveness of activated charcoal decreases with time. Data using at least 50 g of activated charcoal, showed a mean reduction in absorption of 47.3%, 40.07%, 16.5% and 21.13%, when activated charcoal was administered at 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 120 minutes and 180 minutes, respectively, after dosing. There are no satisfactorily designed clinical studies assessing benefit from single-dose activated charcoal to guide the use of this therapy. Single-dose activated charcoal should not be administered routinely in the management of poisoned patients. Based on volunteer studies, the administration of activated charcoal may be considered if a patient has ingested a potentially toxic amount of a poison (which is known to be adsorbed to charcoal) up to one hour previously. Although volunteer studies demonstrate that the reduction of drug absorption decreases to values of questionable clinical importance when charcoal is administered at times greater than one hour, the potential for benefit after one hour cannot be excluded. There is no evidence that the administration of activated charcoal improves clinical outcome. Unless a patient has an intact or protected airway, the administration of charcoal is contraindicated. A review of the literature since the preparation of the 1997 Single-dose Activated Charcoal Position Statement revealed no new evidence that would require a revision of the conclusions of the Statement.     

Prehospital activated charcoal: the way forward

Methods: A postal questionnaire was used to determine the current level of use of prehospital activated charcoal by ambulance NHS trusts, the incidence of associated complications, and barriers preventing the routine use of prehospital SDAC. Results: A completed questionnaire was returned by 36 of the 39 ambulance NHS trusts in the UK (response rate 92%). Currently none of the trusts that responded to the questionnaire provides prehospital SDAC as an intervention. The most common barriers to the provision of prehospital SDAC are the current lack of evidence in the medical literature proving it is effective in improving patient outcome and the lack of a recognised protocol for its administration. Other issues included concerns regarding potential complications, ambulance turnaround times, lack of availability of SDAC, and lack of funding. Conclusions: A lack of published evidence proving efficacy remains the most important factor in preventing the routine administration of SDAC to appropriate patients in the prehospital environment. Further research in this setting is required to determine the usefulness of this therapy.     

CliniSorb activated charcoal dressing for odour control

The potential for charcoal cloth in wound management relates to its well demonstrated ability to adsorb small gas molecules. Charcoal has become increasingly used to contain odour and is especially useful in the management of fungating lesions. This article looks at CliniSorb activated charcoal odour control dressing (distributed by CliniMed) and describes its construction, action and place in wound management.     

Acceleration of digoxin clearance by activated charcoal

The effect of repeated oral doses of activated charcoal on intravenous digoxin kinetics was evaluated in a randomized, crossover study. Ten healthy subjects received infusions of 10 micrograms/kg digoxin alone and with 225 gm activated charcoal over 40 hours. Multiple serum digoxin concentration determinations were made after each dose by radioimmunoassay. Noncompartmental kinetic analysis was used. Digoxin clearance increased an average of 47% (range -2% to 119%) during charcoal treatment, from 12.2 +/- 2.0 to 18.0 +/- 2.9 L/hr. The volume of distribution at steady state decreased from 495 +/- 196 to 375 +/- 162 L, and the terminal t1/2 was shortened from 36.5 +/- 11.8 to 21.5 +/- 6.5 hr during charcoal treatment. Likewise, mean residence time decreased, from 41.1 +/- 20 to 19.9 +/- 7.8 hr. Kinetic predictions would suggest greater proportional increases in digoxin clearance in patients with renal impairment. We conclude that repeated doses of charcoal enhance the clearance of digoxin and should be considered for use in digoxin toxicity.     

Gastrointestinal obstruction associated with multiple-dose activated charcoal

The development of a gastrointestinal obstruction associated with multiple doses of activated charcoal is described. A carbamazepine-intoxicated patient received 240 g of activated charcoal and a total of 600 mL magnesium citrate with the development of an ileus and a small-bowel obstruction. The patient also had episodes of emesis associated with charcoal administration. This case suggests that the use of multiple doses of activated charcoal may be associated with gastrointestinal obstruction, a previously unreported adverse effect. Further evaluation of the incidence of adverse effects associated with activated charcoal is needed to determine optimal therapeutic regimens.     

The effect of sorbitol and activated charcoal on serum theophylline concentrations after slow-release theophylline

The effect of the addition of sorbitol to an oral regimen of multiple doses of activated charcoal on serum theophylline concentrations was studied after the ingestion of slow-release theophylline in nine healthy male volunteers. At 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12 hours after Theo-24 (1200 mg/70 kg) ingestion, each subject received, in a randomized crossover design, either 300 ml water, 20 gm activated charcoal in water, or 20 gm activated charcoal in water plus 75 ml 70% sorbitol at 6 and 8 hours only. The serum AUCs from 6 to 30 hours after Theo-24 ingestion during the water, charcoal, and charcoal plus sorbitol phases were 305 +/- 16, 113 +/- 6, and 85 +/- 10 mg-hr/L (mean +/- SE), respectively. We conclude that the addition of sorbitol to an oral regimen of multiple doses of activated charcoal decreased the serum theophylline concentrations after therapeutic doses of slow-release theophylline to a significantly greater extent than did the activated charcoal regimen alone.     

Cocaine adsorption to activated charcoal in vitro.

Although activated charcoal (AC) is commonly used after ingestions of cocaine, the ability of AC to bind with this drug is unknown. We studied binding of cocaine to AC in vitro. Cocaine adsorption to charcoal for AC:drug ratios of 1:1, 2.5:1, and 5:1 at pH 1.2 was 40%, 92%, and 99%, respectively; at pH 8.0, it was 78%, 98%, and 99%, respectively. All means were significantly different (P less than 0.05) versus the control (no AC) at each pH. At the AC:drug ratio of 1:1, there was also significantly greater adsorption of cocaine at pH 8.0 than at pH 1.2. This study shows that AC strongly adsorbs cocaine under both acidic and alkaline conditions.     

Combined paracetamol and amitriptyline adsorption to activated charcoal

Objectives. High-gram drug doses seen in multiple-drug poisonings might be close to the adsorption capacity of activated charcoal (AC). The aim was to determine the maximum adsorption capacities (Q_m) of amitriptyline and paracetamol, separately and in combination, to AC. Methods. ACs (Carbomix® and Norit Ready-To-Use) were tested in vitro. At pH 1.2 and pH 7.2, 0.250 g AC and paracetamol and/or amitriptyline were mixed and incubated. The AC?:?drug ratios were 10?:?1, 5?:?1, 3?:?1, 2?:?1, and 1?:?1. The mixed-drug adsorption vials contained the same AC?:?paracetamol ratios, but amitriptyline was added as fixed dose (0.080 g) to all samples. Drug concentrations in the liquid phase were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)/UV-detection. Results. Q_m, amitriptyline, were 0.49 g/g Carbomix® and 0.70 g/g Norit Ready-To-Use, and Q_m, paracetamol, were 0.63 g/g Carbomix® and 0.72 g/g Norit Ready-To-Use. The tested pH differences had minor effect on the adsorption. The mixed-drug adsorption showed about 40% Q_m reduction of each drug with increasing amounts of drug/g AC, but the total gram of drug adsorbed to AC was increased compared to one-drug conditions. Conclusion. The adsorption of the two compounds to AC seems to compete resulting in lower maximum adsorption capacity for both drugs when mixed. However, a great adsorptive capacity was noted and might be explained by adsorption of the drugs to different AC surface sites. Furthermore, the Norit Ready-To-Use preparation, with less volume and total weight for the same AC dose as Carbomix®, showed a higher Q_m. This might be clinically significant in terms of preventing nausea, vomiting, and subsequent aspiration.