• Acute management of many oral poisonings following emesis/lavage.

Contraindicated in:

• No known contraindications.

Use Cautiously in:

• Poisonings due to cyanide, corrosives, ethanol, methanol, petroleum distillates, organic solvents, mineral acids, or iron
• Endoscopic examination (observation will be obscured).

GI: black stools, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting.

Drug-Drug:

• Other drugs including ipecac syrup and laxatives will be adsorbed by charcoal and as a result will not be systemically absorbed from the GI tract.

Drug-Food:

• Milk, ice cream, or sherbet will decrease the ability of charcoal to absorb other agents.

(Generic available)

• Powder: 15-; 25- 30-; 40-; 120-; 125-g 240-g^OTC containers;
• Oral suspension: 12.5 g/60 mL^OTC; 15 g/72 mL^OTC; 15 g/120 mL^OTC; 25 g/120 mL^OTC; 30 g/120 mL^OTC; 50 g/240 mL^OTC; 15 g/120 mL^OTC; 25 g/125 mL^OTC; 50 g/225 mL^OTC; 50 g/250 mL^OTC;
• In combination with: sorbitol (Actidose with Sorbitol); Charcoaid; Pediatric Charcodote; Charac-tol; (Charcodote TFS)^OTC;

Antidote

• PO (Adults): 25–100 g (may be repeated q 4–6 hr).
• PO (Children 1–12 yr): 25–50 g (may be repeated q 4–6 hr).
• PO (Children <1 yr): 1 g/kg (may be repeated q 4–6 hr).

Acta-Char Liquid-A, Actidose-Aqua, CharcoAid 2000, Insta-Char, Insta-Char Aqueous Suspension, Liqui-Char, SuperChar Aqueous

• Binds drugs and chemicals in the GI tract.

• Decreased intestinal absorption of drugs or chemicals in the overdose situation.

Therapeutic Classification: antidotes

Pharmacologic Classification: adsorbents

Absorption: None.

Distribution: None.

Metabolism/Excretion: Excreted unchanged in the feces.

Half-life: Unknown.

Aqueous Charcodote, Charac-50, Charcodote

(antidote)

• Inform patient that stools will turn black.
• Poisoning: When counseling, discuss methods of prevention, need to confer with poison control center, physician, or emergency department before administering, and need to bring ingested substance to emergency department for identification.