Activated charcoal (medication)

For the pseudoscientific use, see Activated charcoal cleanse.
Main article: Activated carbon

Activated charcoal
Activated charcoal for medical use
Clinical data
Trade namesCharcoAid, others
AHFS/Drugs.comMonograph
Routes of
administration		by mouth, nasogastric tube
Identifiers
CAS Number
ChemSpider
  • none
UNII
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
ECHA InfoCard100.036.697 Edit this at Wikidata

Activated charcoal, also known as activated carbon, is a medication used to treat poisonings that occurred by mouth.[1] To be effective it must be used within a short time of the poisoning occurring, typically an hour.[1][2] It does not work for poisonings by cyanide, corrosive agents, iron, lithium, alcohols, or malathion.[2] It may be taken by mouth or given by a nasogastric tube.[3] Other uses include inside hemoperfusion machines.[1]

Common side effects include vomiting, black stools, diarrhea, and constipation.[1] A more serious side effect, pneumonitis, may result if aspirated into the lungs.[1][2] Gastrointestinal obstruction and ileus are less common but serious adverse effects.[1] Use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is generally safe.[3] Activated charcoal works by adsorbing the toxin.[1]

While charcoal has been used since ancient times for poisonings, activated charcoal has been used since the 1900s.[4][5] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[6]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Charcoal, Activated". The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b c World Health Organization (2009). Stuart MC, Kouimtzi M, Hill SR (eds.). WHO Model Formulary 2008. World Health Organization. p. 57. hdl:10665/44053. ISBN 9789241547659.
  3. ^ a b Hamilton R (2015). Tarascon Pocket Pharmacopoeia 2015 Deluxe Lab-Coat Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 469. ISBN 9781284057560.
  4. ^ Cecen F, Aktas Ö (2011-09-19). "1". Activated Carbon for Water and Wastewater Treatment: Integration of Adsorption and Biological Treatment. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9783527639458. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20.
  5. ^ Tascón JM (2012). Novel Carbon Adsorbents. Elsevier. p. 640. ISBN 9780080977447. Archived from the original on 2016-12-20.
  6. ^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019. Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl:10665/325771. WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.