[Corrosive substance ingestions management].

Acute poisonings with corrosive substances make 15-20% of all acute poisonings in our country. They are on the second place, after drug poisonings, which are far more often. After the ingestion of corrosives, corrosive lesions of the gastrointestinal tract appear. The oesophagus has lesions mostly in cases of ingestion of alkali, and the stomach (gaster) is damaged when an acid is ingested The first steps in the management of the patients having ingested a corrosive substance are to stabilise all vital parameters of the patient (reanimation) and to dilute the substance. The dilution can be done within 60 minutes, with water or milk. After the stabilisation of all vital parameters, the further treatment should start, meaning diagnostics and therapeutic measures. The best diagnostic procedure to determine the presence and severity of corrosive oesophageal lesions is oesophagoscopy. Basic therapeutic principles in the management of patients after corrosive substance ingestion must be applied. According to these principles, it is contraindicated to induce vomiting, diarrhoea and do corrosive substance neutralisation or gastric lavage. Charcoal has no effect, and is not indicated. It is important to identify the kind and quantity of ingested substance, as well as to withhold all oral feedings, and to assess fluid and electrolyte balance carefully and to watch for development of complications. This paper presents the complete treatment protocol of ENT Clinic, Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Serbia. This protocol has been in use since the year 2000 and the results are excellent.