Your patient is a 17-year-old male who is spitting and coughing after swallowing some gasoline while siphoning from a gas tank.Which of the following should you do first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Contacting medical control is the first and most important step in managing a patient who has ingested a toxic substance, especially if the substance is a hydrocarbon like gasoline. Medical control will provide specific instructions regarding management, including whether or not to induce vomiting with syrup of ipecac, which is no longer routinely recommended in many cases. Milk should not be given as it may increase absorption of some toxins. Inserting a Combitube or another airway device is not indicated unless the patient's breathing is compromised.

Your Patient Is a 17-Year-Old Male Who Is Spitting and Coughing