Inhibition by ice cream of the antidotal efficacy of activated charcoal.

A study was conducted to determine if ice cream and sherbet interfered with the adsorption of aspirin onto activated charcoal both in vivo and in vitro. An aqueous suspension of 20 g activated charcoal decreased the absorption of 1 g aspirin by 65%; the same dose of activated charcoal with 50 g of ice cream reduced aspirin absorption by only 42% under otherwise identical conditions. In vitro tests showed that different ice creams and sherbet decrease the adsoprtion of aspirin onto activated charcoal. Thus, although ice cream is useful for preparing palatable suspensions of activated charcoal, it decreases appreciably the antidotal efficacy of the adsorbent.