Charcoal/NG tubes

[Sassy5d]

Haven't had to do this often.. Is there a method to make this easier? Do you mix with a little water and gravity or do you shake the tubes and just push it through?

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Are most of you still using charcoal and if so when? We rarely do anymore. They say if you don't get it in in the first hour it does no good and even then it has little effect.

Exactly true, and the reason why it's only used when there's credible evidence that ingestion has occurred pretty much immediately prior to arrival at the ED, i.e. ... self-reported ODs.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Are most of you still using charcoal and if so when? We rarely do anymore. They say if you don't get it in in the first hour it does no good and even then it has little effect.

I've given charcoal exactly once, and exactly for that reason.