Sometimes we are faced with the need to wash our stomach. Such a need may arise as a result of poisoning or stomach disease. This is far from the most pleasant procedure, and everyone will agree that it is much easier to carry out such a procedure within the walls of your own home. This article will tell you about several ways to gastric lavage yourself at home.
Purpose of gastric lavage As a rule, the purposes of gastric lavage are as follows: therapeutic lavage, diagnostic lavage.
Therapeutic gastric lavage should be carried out in case of poisoning with toxic substances that somehow got inside the body, in addition, with food poisoning, as well as with gastritis, if they cause abundant mucus secretion.
Diagnostic gastric lavage is necessary for various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in the case when it is necessary to identify the perpetrators of any inflammatory processes in the human body.
Contraindications to gastric lavage. Washing should not be carried out if the person is unconscious, as well as in case of poisoning with oil products, such as, for example, kerosene, gasoline, liquefied gas. These substances cause a burning effect. In addition, contraindications for this procedure include:
- very severe abdominal pain
- stomach bleeding
- high blood pressure
- heart failure
Ways to wash the stomach at home
The easiest way is to drink the maximum possible amount of boiled water at room temperature in one go, first focus on 5-6 glasses. Immediately after this, it is necessary to artificially induce vomiting. To do this, press with two fingers on the root of the tongue. This simple procedure irritates the throat and vomit. This procedure must be done several times until the vomit becomes clean. At this stage, it can be considered that the stomach is washed. After the done activities, you should rinse your mouth and drink a few sips of warm tea. By the way, it is possible to use a weak solution of baking soda instead of boiled water for this method of gastric lavage.
First aid for acid poisoning for gastric lavage. Literally, a 2% solution of soda will help save a person who has poisoned himself with acid.
First aid for alkali poisoning for gastric lavage. If alkali poisoning occurs, you should immediately flush the stomach with a solution of citric acid.
Isotonic sodium chloride solution for gastric lavage. This solution is ideal for gastric lavage in young children under the age of three.
Solution using sorbents for gastric lavage. Such a solution is deservedly ranked among the most effective. Wonderful sorbents help to eliminate various toxins, harmful microorganisms and allergens from our body.
Pale pink potassium permanganate solution for gastric lavage. To use this washing method, carefully filter potassium permanganate through a paper filter and multi-layer gauze. This procedure is extremely important, since small crystals of the substance can provoke a burn of the esophagus and the gastric mucosa. But it is impossible to wash the stomach with permanganate if you have acute digestive disorders.
Salt solution for gastric lavage. This solution has an excellent property: it prevents the penetration of poisons and other dangerous substances from the stomach into the intestines. Therefore, it is very effective to use in case of poisoning. Dissolve two tablespoons of salt in five liters of water - and a weak solution of salt for gastric lavage is ready. After ingesting it, you must do the same as described in the washing methods above.
Indications for gastric lavage are the occurrence of food poisoning or the presence of problems with its digestion. Lavage is indicated in case of dyskinesia of the gallbladder, an increased level of acidity of gastric juice.
Gastric lavage at home
Before carrying out gastric lavage in case of poisoning, it is necessary that the victim takes a sitting position. First you need to prepare about 2 liters of boiled water and immediately find a container into which the vomit will fall. Water should be drunk immediately while it is warm. After absorbing all the water, you need to bring your legs together, put your left hand on the stomach and press it lightly. In this case, you need to lean forward to your knees. With the fingers of the right hand, you need to unclench the root of the tongue, which will provoke a gag reflex, as a result of which the drunk water will come out back. Fluid released from the stomach usually has a cloudy hue.
After vomiting, a sour taste may be felt in the mouth. In this case, you need to drink another 500 ml of warm boiled water with the addition of 1 tsp. soda. Then induce vomiting again. Repeated gastric lavage is necessary to reduce acidity. After gastric lavage, you can drink 1 tablet of chloramphenicol.
Gastric lavage technique
In addition to the above method of gastric lavage at home, there are some more varieties. In this case, it is planned to use a special device consisting of a thick-walled rubber tube, the length of which is 1.5 m. This tube has a wide lumen and a funnel, the capacity of which is 0.5-1 l. The funnel and rubber tube must be sterilized by boiling. They should be stored in plastic bags. Before doing a gastric lavage using this device, it is necessary to rinse it using 1-2 liters of boiling water for this.
For the procedure, you need to prepare 8-10 liters of warm water, it is not necessary that it be boiled. Seat the victim on a chair, lean his back against the back of the chair and tilt his head forward several times, cover with an oilcloth apron, a sheet or a plastic cape. Put a basin at your feet. One of the caregivers inserts a probe into the stomach, the end of which should be brought to the root of the tongue and synchronously directed with light translational movements with the patient's swallowing movements towards the esophagus. Do not make sudden efforts when inserting the probe. After the probe is inserted into the stomach (at least 50 cm), a funnel is put on its free end, water is poured into it, while the funnel needs to be slightly tilted so that air does not get into it. At first, the funnel must be held below the patient's mouth. After the funnel is filled with water, it must be raised until the water reaches the neck of the funnel. At this point, the funnel must be lowered and the contents of the stomach poured into the pelvis. The amount of liquid that was introduced into it should come out of the stomach.
When carrying out a gastric lavage, it is impossible to allow the water to leave the funnel completely, since air will enter the stomach after this, which will make the procedure more difficult. After gastric lavage and removal of the probe, rinse your mouth, wipe your lips and chin with a towel.
Solutions for gastric lavage
For gastric lavage, a saline solution can be used, for the preparation of which you need to add 2-3 tablespoons to 5-10 liters of liquid. salt. They cause a spasm of the exit from the stomach and prevent the movement of toxins or poison from the stomach into the intestines.
Gastric lavage can be carried out with pale pink potassium permanganate. The solution must first be filtered using a paper filter or gauze folded in four layers, since small crystals of potassium permanganate that do not dissolve in water can cause a burn of the mucous membrane of the esophagus or stomach. The potassium permanganate solution has a significant drawback: it irritates the gastric mucosa, so it is undesirable to use it in case of acute digestive disorders.
The most effective is the use of a solution in which sorbents and enterosorbents are used: polysorb or enterosgel.
In case of acid poisoning, a 2% soda solution is used. In case of alkali poisoning - a solution of citric acid.
Gastric lavage in children
For gastric lavage in children, all of the above solutions can be used, and for children under 3 years old, in case of a violation of water and electrolyte metabolism, gastric lavage is performed using a sodium chloride solution (0.9% isotonic solution).
It is necessary to use a sufficiently warm solution (35-37 degrees), which will stop intestinal peristalsis and prevent the child from cooling, which, in turn, will prevent the movement of toxic substances through the intestines and stomach. Gastric lavage in children is carried out as follows: the child needs to be drunk with a solution for washing and artificially induce vomiting, for which it will be enough to insert a finger into the mouth and press on the root of the tongue. It is worth continuing the procedure until the vomit is a clean wash solution.
Contraindications for gastric lavage
Contraindications to gastric lavage are the presence of stones in the gallbladder, erosive gastritis, stomach ulcers, as well as myocardial infarction and hypertension of 2 or 3 degrees.
It is important to know how to wash the stomach at home. After all, the need for this may appear with intoxication or diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Cleansing the stomach in some cases does not require hospitalization of the patient - it can be done at home. But first you need to get advice from a specialist on how to properly cleanse the stomach with an enema and a probe from toxins, toxins and other harmful substances. How to cleanse the stomach and intestines from them?
When should you flush?
There are two types of washes. The first is carried out for therapeutic purposes, the second - for diagnostic purposes. Therapeutic cleansing of the stomach is carried out with intoxication with harmful substances, food poisoning and gastritis, which provoke strong mucous secretions. A diagnostic type of washing is done for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and, if necessary, to identify the causes of the development of inflammation in the abdominal cavity. Cleaning the abdominal cavity with Polysorb is also useful when overeating.
Indications
- food poisoning, alcohol and drug intoxication;
- poisoning with harmful substances (for example, acids);
- the need to empty the gastrointestinal tract;
- gallbladder disease (dyskinesia);
- increased acidity of the secretion of the stomach;
- vomiting
- overeating;
- the entry of toxins into the lumen of the abdominal cavity.
Contraindications
Cleaning the patient's abdominal cavity at home is prohibited if he is unconscious or poisoned by petrochemical products - kerosene, gas, etc. Such substances can have a burning effect. In addition, contraindications to the procedure at home include:
- acute pain in the abdominal cavity;
- high pressure;
- bleeding in the stomach;
- heart attack, heart disease.
First aid
- Acid poisoning. Soda composition is an effective remedy for intoxication. A two percent solution with soda will help save the victim. Soda powder should be quickly diluted in liquid and drink a glass of soda composition.
- Alkaline intoxication. It is necessary to quickly clean the abdominal cavity due to a solution with citric acid. The product must be diluted in warm boiled water. The patient must drink the composition.
Abdominal lavage at home
Sometimes, in case of overeating, you can use mineral water, Polysorb, activated charcoal or an enema.
Gastric lavage techniques at home
Solutions
Flushing in children
If the crumbs have weight loss and intoxication with vomiting, then you should consult a doctor before treating it. The specialist will tell you whether it is possible to use medicines such as potassium permanganate, activated charcoal, Polysorb and other tablets and drugs. Babies who are unconscious should do a cleaning of the abdominal cavity several times in a row. If harmful substances enter the intestines, it should be cleaned with an enema. Pediatricians can prescribe a crumb "Polysorb" to clean the digestive tract.
What to do after cleansing?
With dehydration, weight loss cannot be avoided, so general strengthening agents should be taken. Doctors recommend using absorbent (for example, Polysorb) or laxative medicines to clean the gastrointestinal tract and reduce the absorption of harmful components.
Among the various medical procedures, gastric lavage is considered one of the most beneficial. Let's talk about how to rinse a person's stomach in case of poisoning at home, how it can be washed and what you need to know in order to successfully carry out this procedure.
How to wash the stomach in case of poisoning
Let's start with the choice of means for washing. Traditionally, solutions of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) or baking soda are used for gastric lavage. These solutions have the best effect on various toxic substances in the stomach, neutralizing them. Activated charcoal works well too. At home, it is quite difficult to use, for example, a probe, so a much simpler gastric lavage technique will be described here. Simple, but no less effective for that. After its description, we will talk about the features of washing and the children's stomach.
How to wash the stomach at home
Prepare a weak solution of baking soda or potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate). Now you need to give the patient 5-6 glasses to drink (you can also give warm water), and then press your fingers on the root of the tongue or insert them into the throat, causing vomiting. Do not forget to prepare the dishes in advance, where the patient will vomit. This procedure should be repeated until the water flowing out of the stomach to the outside becomes clear. This will mean that the stomach is completely cleared of toxic substances, which will no longer be absorbed by the body and will not lead to severe intoxication. If everything is done correctly, then you can even save the life of your loved ones and friends with various food poisoning. That is why it is desirable that potassium permanganate is in the first-aid kit, and there is baking soda at home. You can wash the stomach with an aqueous solution of activated charcoal powder. To do this, it is recommended to crush and dissolve in water from 6 to 10 tablets per 1 liter of water. By the way, when preparing a potassium permanganate solution, do not forget to strain it through gauze, removing undissolved crystals, as they can burn the mucous membrane. However, this method has some contraindications. So, using this procedure, you can not wash the stomach in case of poisoning with various oil products, as well as various poisons that have a cauterizing effect. In addition, you can not wash the stomach in this way and those people who are unconscious.
How to wash the stomach of a child
Here we will talk about the norms that are prescribed for children for washing at a particular age. Please note that we are talking about the total amount of liquid, which should be divided into several doses, and each dose must be accompanied by gastric emptying (vomiting). So, for babies aged 6 to 9 months, the recommended total dose is no more than 800 ml. A one-year-old child can be given a drink and a liter in several doses. And then add a liter per year. However, the total amount of liquid drunk in children should not exceed 10 liters. If the child is weakened, you need to turn his head on its side so that it is lower than the body and induce vomiting. As soon as the water after vomiting becomes clear, it means that the washing was successful and the remaining liquid can not be given. It will only be necessary to rinse the baby's mouth with warm and clean water. As for solutions, the same means will do, the main thing is to ensure that the concentration of drugs is not as large as it is prepared for adults.
Stomach problems occur at least once in a lifetime in every person. Options for their elimination are determined based on the cause that caused the violation. Washing is one of the methods.
The need for gastric lavage occurs when poor health is the result of the ingress of toxic, poisonous substances that cause severe intoxication, nausea, and weakness. In such situations, the faster the harmful components are removed from the digestive tract, the sooner the improvement occurs, complications are excluded.
The following indications can be distinguished:
- Acute poisoning is the result of eating stale food, poisonous mushrooms.
- Alcoholic or drug intoxication.
- Anomaly of the output gastric section in the form of narrowing.
- Decreased tone of the walls of the food-digesting organ.
- Intestinal obstruction.
- Chronic pathologies that provoke the entry of dangerous substances into the lumen of the stomach (for example, kidney problems).
There are also a number of contraindications. We are talking about a narrowing of the esophagus of an organic type, severe bleeding in the stomach or esophagus, burns of the larynx and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract with alkali or acid, the absence of such reflexes as cough and laryngeal. Also, the procedure should be treated with caution if an adult or a child is diagnosed with impaired cerebral circulation, heart rhythm abnormalities, convulsions. Unconsciousness becomes an absolute contraindication if intubation is not performed.
Variants of methods and solutions
To solve the problem of how to wash the stomach at home in case of poisoning, you can use the so-called "restaurant" method. In a medical institution, a probe can be used, special solutions and devices are used. Each of the methods has its own characteristics, but in any case, napkins or a towel, dishes for the outgoing liquid must be at hand.
1. With a probe.
In case of severe poisoning caused by alkali, acid, vinegar or household chemicals, washing is carried out only in a hospital with a thick or thin probe. In the first case, the device for the procedure is a tube made from a rubber mixture, the length of which is from 80 to 120 cm, and the diameter is about 12 mm. There is a cut at one end of the tube, the other is equipped with side holes and has a rounded shape.
To flush the stomach with a thick probe, prepare at least 5 liters of liquid (maximum 10 liters are poured). Boiled water cooled to 20 degrees is suitable, prepared from five liters of water and a couple of tablespoons of salt, a composition that helps stop the movement of toxins through the digestive tract. You can also use a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate, which is an effective antiseptic and antimicrobial agent, or a similarly prepared salt soda mixture. If children are affected by poisoning, it is important to correctly determine the volume of liquid. Approximately proceed from the need for an infusion of 5 ml per kg of weight. When choosing a washing technique using a thin probe, the diameter of which does not exceed 9 mm, similar solutions are used.
3. Without additional devices.
At home, the procedure for poisoning can be carried out using the already mentioned "restaurant" method. To do this, one of the solutions described above is drunk on its own, after which vomiting is caused. A single volume of a serving of liquid is not more than 500 ml. The total amount reaches 5-10 liters.
If washing is carried out at home, it is advisable for the person who helps to carry out the procedure to wear gloves and an apron protecting clothes so that the contents with pathogenic bacteria do not get on the skin or things and the infection does not spread further.
How is washing done?
With the probeless option, the following algorithm of actions is provided:
- The patient is seated or laid on its side, with the head lower than the body.
- In the projection of the oral cavity, a container for flushing water is placed.
- The prepared solution is given to drink and the contents that cause intoxication are expected to come out. In the absence of spontaneous vomiting, lightly press on the root of the tongue with a spoon or finger.
If cleaning with a thick probe is necessary, the following washing algorithm is provided:
1. The patient is seated or laid on one side, removing the pillow from under the head, a diaper is placed on the chest.
2. Determine the required length of the probe by measuring the distance between the lips and the earlobe with the tube itself, then descending to the edge of the xiphoid process of the anterior abdominal wall. The resulting point is marked on the probe in order to enter it exactly at this size.
3. The rounded end is well lubricated with petroleum jelly (glycerin is also suitable) and placed on the root of the patient's tongue, who will have to make a couple of swallowing movements that promote uniform movement of the device along the esophagus.
4. This technique requires especially careful actions so that the probe does not get into the larynx (cough, lack of air becomes a sign). If the advancement of the tube causes a strong gag reflex, pre-irrigate the oral cavity with an anesthetic in the form of a spray with lidocaine.
5. When the probe is at the required level, a funnel is attached to it and the first 500-1000 ml of the solution is poured. When the liquid reaches the level of the mouth of the funnel, it is placed below the level of the stomach, initiating gastric lavage.
6. It is important that the funnel is not completely empty to avoid air ingress. Purification is carried out until clean water is obtained.
It should be remembered that the volume of injected fluid may exceed the amount of outgoing masses by a maximum of 1%, since in the case of absorption of solutions, the condition worsens.
When used for washing a thin probe, it is inserted through the nose, after determining the most "breathable" nostril. The procedure begins with measuring the required distance to the stomach, inserting the probe into the nasal passage (with the head thrown back) by 15 cm. After that, the patient should lean forward and make swallowing movements, ensuring that the probe moves along the wall of the larynx and esophagus. The ability to speak and breathe freely indicates the correct introduction. In order for the probe to move as smoothly as possible, it is suggested to drink water in small sips with the head tilted forward.
The technique of washing with this method is different in that the solution is injected through a syringe, after which it is pumped out of the stomach in a similar way and poured into a prepared container. Actions according to the specified algorithm are repeated using the entire volume of liquid.
If poisoning is diagnosed in a child
Washing in children, in addition to correctly determining the amount of fluid required, has a number of nuances:
1. It is advisable to fix the child in the arms of an adult, who should wrap his legs around the baby’s legs and hold the forehead and arms of the little patient with his hands. Young children are swaddled beforehand.
2. For children, the volume of the solution depends on weight and age. For newborns, this amount does not exceed 50 ml, for babies up to six months - 100 ml, for children aged 6-12 months - 200 ml. After a year, the following formula is used - 100 ml is multiplied by the age of the child reduced by a year, after which 200 ml is added to the result.
What points should be paid special attention to?
In order for washing during poisoning to be successful, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:
1. When using a probe, less water may leak out compared to the infused liquid. This phenomenon occurs due to the bending of the tube when it is too deep or insufficiently inserted. The movement of the probe and its correct placement in the stomach helps to correct the position.
2. If the liquid stops flowing from the probe during gastric lavage, this indicates a blockage of the tube opening with food residues or mucus. To eliminate the problem, the probe is removed, cleaned and the procedure is repeated.
3. With an excessive volume of one-time incoming water, the opening of the sphincter at the outlet of the organ is provoked, which leads to the penetration of harmful substances into the intestine and aggravates the signs of poisoning. Therefore, the indicated dosages should not be exceeded.
4. When choosing compositions, you need to be especially careful with potassium permanganate, since exceeding the concentration is dangerous for burning the mucosa of the esophagus and stomach.
5. After the liquid enters the stomach, the nausea accompanying the poisoning may increase, but this disappears with the release of the washing solution.
If, as a result of poisoning, the body spontaneously gets rid of harmful substances through the abundant release of vomit, measures may be required to stop this process. Help with vomiting is needed because of the risk of dehydration. To alleviate the condition of the house will come out by taking sorbents (at the same time they eliminate nausea) and special antiemetic drugs. The use of the latter is allowed only with the exclusion of the infectious process, if vomiting is prolonged and depletes the vitality of the body.