GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF TREATMENT AND MEDICAL AND LEGAL DUTIES IN POISONING If a patient comes with poisoning to emergency medico legal registration should be carried out. Preliminary particulars including name, age, sex, occupation, caste, address, date, time brought by whom, history.

Doctor should enquire about the nature of the poison Relevant police station should be informed In case of accidental poisoning, public health authorities should also be informed If poison is not identified then treatment should be on general lines Proper specimen should be taken including utensil, bottles or containers of the medicines, suspected food or drink, urine, vomit and faeces , clothes and soiled bed sheets.

GENERAL TREATMENT Removal of unabsorbed poison Use of Antidote Elimination of absorbed poison Treatment of general symptoms Maintenance of patient general condition

REMOVAL OF UNSABSORBED POISON Inhaled poison Injected poison Contact poison Ingested poison Emesis Gastric lavage

USE OF ANTIDOTES Mechanical or physical Chemical Demulcent Bulky food Charcoal Chemical KMnO4 Weak solutions of iodine

Physiological or Pharmacological Atropine for pilocarpine Caffeine for morphine Atropine and oximes for organophosphorous compounds Chelating agents BAL EDTA N- Penicillamine Desferrioxamine (D.F.M) Universal antidote