This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hoffman, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by Nelson, L. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hoffman, R. J.
Right arrow Articles by Nelson, L. S.
Related Collections
Right arrow Therapeutics & Toxicology
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?
PEDIATRICS Vol. 113 No. 4 April 2004, pp. e377-e379

ELECTRONIC ARTICLE

Extremely Elevated Relative Risk of Paraffin Lamp Oil Exposures in Orthodox Jewish Children

Robert J. Hoffman, MD*, Solomon Morgenstern, MD{ddagger}, Robert S. Hoffman, MD§ and Lewis S. Nelson, MD§

* Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York
{ddagger} Department of Pediatrics, Schneider Children’s Hospital, New Hyde Park, New York
§ New York City Department of Health Poison Control Center, New York, New York

Background. In observance of the Sabbath and other religious holidays, many Orthodox Jews maintain a burning lamp that uses paraffin lamp oil as fuel. Unintentional pediatric exposure to paraffin lamp oil, a hydrocarbon, is typically by ingestion and carries a risk of aspiration with subsequent pneumonitis. This investigation was prompted by an apparent increase in paraffin lamp oil exposures during the Jewish Sabbath, from sunset Friday until sunset Saturday, noted by the staff of our regional poison control center.

Objective. In this investigation, we retrospectively reviewed all exposures to paraffin lamp oil occurring in our large city in children <18 years old reported to our regional poison control center between January 1, 2000, and February 1, 2003. Reports were investigated to ascertain the frequency of occurrence of paraffin lamp oil exposures on the Jewish Sabbath and Jewish religious holidays. Caregivers of involved children were surveyed by telephone to determine the exposed child’s religion and circumstances of exposure.

Results. During these 25 months, 45 cases met inclusion criteria, and all were ingestions. Orthodox Jews accounted for 32 cases (71%), 4 cases (9%) occurred in children who were not Orthodox Jews, and demographic data were unavailable in 9 cases (20%). Twenty-four cases (53%) occurred within 10 hours before or during the Jewish Sabbath or Jewish religious holidays. The relative risk of Orthodox Jewish children to ingest paraffin lamp oil, calculated by using census data, is 374 times that of other children.

Conclusions. Public health authorities and caregivers of Orthodox Jewish children should be cognizant of this phenomenon. Educational efforts directed toward both Orthodox Jews and the general public aimed at preventing paraffin lamp oil exposures are warranted.

Key Words: paraffin • lamp oil • hydrocarbon • ingestion • poisoning • Sabbath • Orthodox • Jew

Received for publication Jul 29, 2003; Accepted Nov 24, 2003.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 BMJHome page
Minerva
BMJ, June 12, 2004; 328(7453): E308 - E308.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
Minerva
BMJ, April 17, 2004; 328(7445): 964 - 964.
[Full Text] [PDF]

eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Reducing the Ingestion of Paraffin Oil from Glass Lamps
Frank Egan
Pediatrics Online, 10 Apr 2004 [Full text]