We often hear about someone who accidentally swallowed harmful substances or medicines, and gastric lavage is required to treat him. In this article, learn about the process Gastric lavage How is it done and what are the reasons for conducting it and whether it has risks.

What is gastric suction gastric lavage?

It is a procedure in which the stomach is completely and quickly emptied of its contents before it passes to the rest of the digestive system, in order to get rid of harmful substances that are not supposed to enter the stomach, and it can also be performed for other medical purposes.

Reasons for gastric lavage and the reasons for conducting it

There are several necessities for gastric lavage, including:

• Emptying the stomach of harmful substances that have been swallowed, such as excessive doses of medicine, toxic substances, or chemical cleaning materials, or in the case of severe food poisoning, and they are more effective within an hour of entering these substances into the stomach.
• Clean the stomach before an upper GI endoscopy, if there is bloody vomiting.
• Collecting a sample of stomach acids.
• Reducing pressure on the intestines in case of obstruction.
• In the event of stomach bleeding, gastric lavage is used to remove blood from it.
• Reducing pressure on the stomach if artificial respiration is performed in the hospital.

Preparation for the gastric lavage procedure

If the operation will take place in an emergency with the aim of urgently emptying the stomach of toxic substances or blood, then of course there is no preparation before the operation, but if the operation will be done for another medical purpose such as collecting stomach acids for testing or before an upper endoscopy, the doctor may ask to fast from eating for a number of certain hours and stop taking certain medications.

How is gastric lavage done?

It is not an operation in the known sense, because it is a non-surgical procedure in which no incisions are made in the body, where the doctor inserts a thin tube from the patient’s mouth or nose, through the throat, then the esophagus, and even the stomach, so that its contents are suctioned through this tube to empty it.

Before that, the doctor will put a local anesthetic using a spray in the throat to reduce the painful and disturbing feeling while the tube passes through it, and the doctor may pump water or saline through the tube before emptying the stomach to maintain the balance of salts in the body, which decreases by removing fluids from the stomach, especially in children The process lasts about 20 minutes.

Gastric lavage with activated charcoal

After the stomach is completely emptied and washed, the doctor may give the patient activated charcoal to help the patient vomit, but this method is not very effective, but some doctors may use activated charcoal in some cases as an alternative to gastric lavage, but it is not effective with some substances. (

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Tips after gastric lavage

The patient may remain in the hospital during the night under observation to monitor his vital processes, and a psychiatrist may be consulted if the ingestion of harmful substances was deliberate as an attempt to commit suicide, and the recovery period depends on the type of substance that the patient swallowed and the extent of its effect on his body.

Risks and complications of gastric lavage

There are some side effects that the patient may feel after the operation, such as pain and discomfort in the throat after inserting the tube, but there are some complications and risks that can also occur, such as:

• Aspiration pneumonia occurs due to the passage of some stomach fluids while excreted into the airway and then into the lung, which causes swelling of the lung and the occurrence of lung abscesses or bacterial pneumonia, and its symptoms include chest pain, sharp wheezing when breathing, coughing and sputum, exhaustion, and fever. This happens when the tube escapes from the inside or even before it is delivered, as fluids may reach the airway before this procedure is done.
• Vocal cord spasm, which can cause temporary difficulty breathing.
• It is possible that the tube was inserted into the airway instead of the esophagus by mistake if the operation was performed in a place where there are no professional doctors.
• The tube can perforate the esophagus.
• It may accidentally happen that stomach contents are pushed further into the intestine instead of being sucked out.
• Some bleeding may occur.

Finally, we never recommend trying to vomit in the event of swallowing harmful substances at home without going to the emergency room, because this may cause more serious complications for the patient. Rather, you must immediately go to the nearest hospital to do gastric lavage in a proper way to save the patient’s life, and if you have any other questions, you can consult one Our doctors are from here.