I know this is a strange question but im just wondering ?

Question

When someone overdoses on a med such as a sleeping med how do the docs at the hospital decide if the person gets that charcol stuff or their stomach pumped? and what if the person is unconscious

Answer 1

charcoal is usually used to absorb the toxic material to prevent or reduce the body from absorbing it, however if the toxic material is too much and charcoal will help but a little (charcoal is not digested by the body, just wonder how much charcoal one has to ingest) they will do gastric lavage where they directly pump out the material from the stomach before it gets absorbed.

Answer 2

OK well i have experience with this one. There is a window of time within the charcoal can be used, for example if the meds were taken within half an hour then the charcoal will work as the body has not yet absorbed all of it. If the person is unconscious, they feed a tube and pump the stomach. Its nasty, don't ever do it. I've had to drink the charcoal and I've also had the tube. Makes me want to vomit just thinking about it.