Abstract

TORRES OSORIA, Yamila; MARTINEZ CABRERA, Jesús; DIAZ SUTHERLAND, Deyanira  and  PEREZ ALVAREZ, Ana Duadys. Gastric lavage technique in patients with ingestion of toxic susbtances at the different health care centres. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2005, vol.21, n.3-4. ISSN 0864-2125.

A descriptive study was conducted in the emergency centres of 2 children’s hospitals, 2 clinical and surgical hospitals and 2 main emergency polyclinics in Havana City. It was applied a questionnaire that allowed to know the different ways to carry out a gastric lavage as regards the position of the patient, the route used and the solution given. 54 answers were obtained in all and they were evaluated as good, fair and poor according to he fulfilment of the criteria of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology. .  45 % (n=27) said they did it in left lateral recumbent position,  22 (42 %) in dorsal decubitus and the rest with the patient sitting. 7 of the interviewed (12 %) admitted that they carried out the lavage by the orogastric route and the rest by the nasogastric route. It is necessary to improve the teaching of the gastric lavage technique among the health professionals

Keywords : Gastric lavage; acute poisonings; medical specialties.