ORIGINAL ARTICLE

An evidence based flowchart to guide the management of acute salicylate (aspirin) overdose

P I Dargan, C I Wallace, A L Jones

National Poisons Information Service, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust, London, UK

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr P Dargan, National Poisons Information Service, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust, Avonley Road, London, SE14 5ER, UK;
paul.dargan{at}gstt.sthames.nhs.uk

Objective: To develop a flowchart to be used as a tool to guide clinicians step by step through the management of salicylate poisoning.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was carried out.

Results: The evidence base was used to develop a management flowchart that guides the clinician through the three main steps in caring for the patient with salicylate poisoning: preventing further absorption, assessing the severity of poisoning and, where appropriate, increasing elimination.

Conclusions: Salicylate poisoning can result in severe morbidity and mortality and this flowchart provides an evidence based guideline that will guide clinicians through the management of patients presenting to the emergency department with salicylate poisoning.

Keywords: aspirin; salicylate; overdose; guideline; evidence based medicine

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