treatment
Last reviewed 01/2018
Skin - remove contaminated clothing. Wash thoroughly with soap and water.
Eyes - immediate copious irrigation, followed by prophylactic topical antibiotics. Topical steroids will aid resolution of granulation tissue.
Systemic:
- gastric lavage - a rare exception in the management of poisoning from corrosive materials
- instill into stomach Fuller's Earth 30% suspension down the lavage tube with 5% magnesium sulphate as a purgative; alternatively, use activated charcoal
- repeat Fuller's Earth and magnesium sulphate four hourly until faecal samples are negative to testing with alkaline Na dithionate
- both haemoperfusion and haemodialysis may help to lower paraquat levels but neither appears to affect prognosis