Ba. Wolsey et Pe. Mckinney, Does transportation by ambulance decrease time to gastrointestinal decontamination after overdose?, ANN EMERG M, 35(6), 2000, pp. 579-584
Study objective: Because the ability of gastrointestinal decontamination to
alter drug absorption varies inversely with time, we compared the time fro
m arrival in the emergency department to gastrointestinal decontamination (
gastric lavage or activated charcoal) for patients transported by ambulance
with patients transported by other means after overdose.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted in an academic universi
ty ED with an annual volume of 56,000 visits. Consecutive cases of oral ove
rdose treated by gastrointestinal decontamination between December 1, 1995,
and May 31, 1996, were identified from International Classification of Dis
eases, ninth revision, billing codes. ED charts were reviewed to determine
the patient's age, sex, mode of transportation, disposition, and time inter
val to gastrointestinal decontamination with either gastric lavage or activ
ated charcoal.
Results: Two hundred eighty-one patient visits were identified. Complete da
ta were available for 173 visits. Six patients were excluded because the di
agnosis of overdose was not made on presentation, leaving 167 cases for ana
lysis. The median age for all patients was 27 years; 95 (57%) were female.
Overdose patients were transported by ambulance in 105 (67%) cases. Admissi
on rates were similar for patients transported by ambulance and those who a
rrived by other means. The median interval from arrival to any gastrointest
inal decontamination (lavage or charcoal) for patients transported by ambul
ance was shorter than patients who arrived by other means at 55 and 73 minu
tes, respectively (95% confidence interval for difference 2.5 to 30.5 minut
es, P=.03). Subgroup analysis showed this difference was largely the result
of gastric lavage.
Conclusion: Overdose patients transported by ambulance have a shorter time
interval from ED arrival to gastrointestinal decontamination than patients
arriving by other means. This difference was largely related to more rapid
gastric lavage.