Activated Charcoal and Poisoning: Why You Should Call Poison Help First

If someone may have swallowed something harmful, get expert help now. In the US, use the Poison Control online tool or call a poison center at 1-800-222-1222. [1] If the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing or cannot be awakened, call 911 now. [1] Poison Help is free, expert and confidential. [1] Poison Control's advice is not to guess what to do. [2] Do not give charcoal on your own. For other countries see Poison Help by country.

If you are thinking about harming yourself, call 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, US) as well as getting poison help.

Why charcoal is not a home step

• It is a hospital treatment. Poison Control says activated charcoal can adsorb many poisons in the gut and reduce how much enters the body. [2] But it works only for substances that stick to it, and timing matters: the sooner it is given the better it works. [2] Toxicology bodies add that the effectiveness decreases with time. [3]
• The decision is not routine, even for professionals. A 2005 joint position paper from the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists said single-dose activated charcoal should not be given routinely in the management of poisoned patients. [3] It also said there were no satisfactorily designed clinical studies of benefit and no evidence that it improves clinical outcome. [3]
• Airway safety. The same paper says that unless the patient has an intact or protected airway, giving charcoal is contraindicated. [3] Poison Control lists breathing the powder or slurry into the lungs among the risks, especially if the person is very drowsy. [2]
• Store products are not the same. Over-the-counter products might not be as "activated" as the charcoal used in an emergency room. [2] The usual tablet is 250 mg, and the emergency room amount (50 to 100 g) would take hundreds of tablets. [2]
• Not for everyone. It should not be taken by anyone with gastrointestinal bleeding, a bowel perforation or a bowel blockage. [2]

Common mistakes

• Burned toast or barbecue briquettes are not activated charcoal. They do not adsorb poisons, and some briquettes are treated with chemicals never meant to be swallowed. [2]
• Stomach pumping is rare. Poison Control notes that gastric lavage does not happen very often; most poisonings are treated with supportive care. [2] Do not assume a hospital will "just" do a quick treatment, and do not delay the call.

What to have ready when you call

The product or medicine container, the person's age and rough weight, what and how much may have been swallowed, and when. A step-by-step list is on What to tell Poison Help when you call. If the person is a child, see A child swallowed a supplement or natural product.

After the emergency

Poison Control says a person who needs charcoal should be monitored in an emergency room. [2] Tell the care team about every medicine and supplement the person uses. Our page on activated charcoal covers the wellness claims separately.