Activated Charcoal Glossary of Terms

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Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Absorption: Uptake. For example, intestinal absorption is the uptake of food (or other sub...

Acetaminophen: A nonaspirin pain reliever or analgesic. Acetaminophen may be given alone t...

Acetone: A volatile liquid used as an industrial solvent. Acetone is also one of the keton...

Acetylcysteine: An antioxidant drug used to reduce the thickness of mucus and ease its rem...

Activated charcoal: Charcoal that has been heated to increase its ability to absorb molecu...

Airway: The path that air follows to get into and out of the lungs. The mouth and nose are...

American Academy of Pediatrics: AAP. Its member pediatricians "dedicate their efforts and ...

Antidote: A drug that counteracts a poison.

Arsenic: A metallic element that forms a number of poisonous compounds, arsenic is found i...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Dehydration: Excessive loss of body water. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that ca...

Dialysis: The process of cleansing the blood by passing it through a special machine. Dial...

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

Dizziness: Painless head discomfort with many possible causes including disturbances of ...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Endoscope: A lighted optical instrument that is used to get a deep look inside the body. A...

Eskalith: See: Lithium.

Esophagus: The tube that connects the pharynx (throat) with the stomach. The esophagus lie...

Fructose: A sugar that occurs naturally in fruits and honey. Fructose has 4 calories per g...

Gastric: Having to do with the stomach.

Gastrointestinal: Adjective referring collectively to the stomach and small and large inte...

GI tract: Short for gastrointestinal tract. See: Gastrointestinal tract.

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Intubation: The process of putting a tube into a hollow organ or passageway, often into th...

Iodine: An element in the diet that is essential for the manufacture of hormones by the th...

Ipecac: A naturally occurring substance with multiple properties including the ability to ...

Iron: An essential mineral. Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin ...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Lavage: Washing out. Gastric lavage, for example, is the washing out of the stomach to rem...

Laxative: Something that promotes emptying of the bowels. Laxatives are used to combat con...

Lethal: Deadly.

Lithium: A naturally occurring salt that, in purified form, is used to treat certain psych...

Lithobid: See: Lithium.

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b...

Nasogastric: Referring to the passage from the nose to the stomach. Abbreviated NG.

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Obstruction: Blockage of a passageway. See, for example: Airway obstruction; Intestinal o...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pediatrics: The field of medicine that is concerned with the health of infants, children, ...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Poison: Any substance that can cause severe organ damage or death if ingested, breathed in...

Poison control center: A special information center set up to inform people about how to r...

Poisoning: Taking a substance that is injurious to health or can cause death. Poisoning i...

Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical conv...

Skin color: The color of skin which is complexly determined. Skin color depends on many fa...

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

Toxin: A poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria.

Trachea: A tube-like portion of the respiratory tract that connects the larynx with the br...

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Unconscious: 1. Interruption of awareness of oneself and one's surroundings, lack ...

Vitamins: The word "vitamin" was coined in 1911 by the Warsaw-born biochemist Casimir Funk...