A pediatric patient ingested a narcotic analgesic at a grandparent's house 15 minutes before arriving in the emergency department. The nurse is preparing to administer activated charcoal. Which statement by the nurse is correct?
A) "The charcoal will cause the child's stools to be black."
B) "The charcoal should absorb about 37% of the drug."
C) "The charcoal will make the child vomit the medication."
D) "We will need to give the charcoal several times for it to work."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Activated charcoal absorbs the poison,and the charcoal-poison complex then is excreted. The charcoal causes the stools to become black. When administered within 30 minutes of ingestion,90% of a drug can be absorbed. Activated charcoal does not cause vomiting. It is not necessary to repeat the dose.

A Pediatric Patient Ingested a Narcotic Analgesic at a Grandparent's