Page 989 - Saunders Comprehensive Review For NCLEX-RN

3. Interventions

a. Administer antidote: N-Acetylcysteine.
b. Dilute antidote in juice or soda because
of its offensive odor.
c. Loading dose is followed by
maintenance doses.
d. In an unconscious child, prepare to
administer gastric lavage with
activated charcoal to decrease the
absorption of acetaminophen.
e. If using activated charcoal with lavage,
do not also use N-acetylcysteine
because activated charcoal inactivates
the antidote.

C. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)

1. Description
a. Overdose may be caused by acute
ingestion or chronic ingestion.
b. Acute: Severe toxicity with 300 to 500
mg/kg
c. Chronic: Ingestion of more than 100
mg/kg per day for 2 days or more,
which can be more serious than acute
ingestion
2. Assessment
a. Gastrointestinal effects: Nausea,
vomiting, and thirst from dehydration
b. Central nervous system effects:
Hyperpnea, confusion, tinnitus,
seizures, coma, respiratory failure,
circulatory collapse
c. Renal effects: Oliguria
d. Hematopoietic effects: Bleeding
tendencies
e. Metabolic effects: Diaphoresis, fever,
hyponatremia, hypokalemia,
dehydration, hypoglycemia, metabolic
acidosis

3. Interventions

a. Prepare to administer activated
charcoal to decrease absorption of
salicylate.
b. Emesis or cathartic measures may be
prescribed.

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