What is the treatment for Small amounts of bleach ingestion?

Answer 1

Bleach is nasty stuff, and really calls for an ER visit, especially as it's horrendously hard to treat in the field. Even a little will cause damage. Bleach, being an alkaline corrosive, will certainly do damage to all the mucous membranes it touches (this includes the esophagus, mouth, stomach, etc.) until it neutralizes. Acid neutralizes bleach -- BUT -- the combination of acid and bleach causes an exothermic reaction (they get hot), and so we can now add chemical burns to the situation -- or better, don't do this. SO... # The most important thing to do is maintain the airway, so the patient can breath. This may require a trach or a crichothyrotomy may be required (beyond most first aid capability). # Do NOT incude emesis (vomiting). It'll burn on the way back up the same way it burned on the way down. # Do NOT give liquids -- they can induce emesis. # Do NOT give an acid solution -- remember that exotherm! The only treatment I know of is: * IF you know it's solid bleach and.... * IF you know the patient injested it less than 30 minutes ago (a lot less hopefullly). * THEN -- you can give them some water or milk, in order to wash any flecks left in the esophagus down to the stomach, which is marginally bettter prepared to handle this. If you know someone who drank a small amount of bleach and made it, tell them they're lucky and not to do it again. P.S. -- in hospitals, a psyche consult is often called in for this, depending on the age of the victim.