Most poisonings reported to American poison control centers occur in the home. The most common route of exposure is ingestion, which is responsible for most fatalities. The goal of gastrointestinal decontamination is to prevent absorption of the toxin. Trends in treating poisoned patients have changed over the past few decades in light of a move toward practicing evidence-based medicine. Efficacy and clinical outcome have come into question and have led to position papers published recently regarding syrup of ipecac, gastric lavage, activated charcoal, and whole-bowel irrigation. These different methods of decontamination and the scientific data supporting each one will be reviewed, and the current controversies surrounding each will be discussed.
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