PEDIATRICS Vol. 54 No. 3 September 1974, pp. 351-357
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Hydrocarbon Pneumonitis

Norman R. Eade Ph.D., M.D.1, Lynn M. Taussig M.D.1, and Melvin I. Marks M.D.1

1 Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Respiratory Function and Infectious Disease, The Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University. Dr. Taussig is a National Cystic Fibrosis Research Foundation Clinical Fellow

Small children, particularly those aged 1 to 5, often drink liquid hydrocarbons when these substances are left accessible to them by careless adults. The hydrocanbons most commonly ingested include petroleum solvents, dry cleaning fluids and spot removers, kerosene, lighten fluids, gasoline, and "mineral seal oil" which is found in many liquid polishes and waxes. For statistical purposes many surveys also include ingestions of turpentine, oil paints, stains and a variety of hydrocarbon-based preservatives. In 1972, petroleum products accounted for 4.6% (4,571 of 105,018 poisonings reported) of accidental ingestions in the United States among children under 5 years of age.1 This figure has remained virtually unchanged since 1969. In a hospital based study published by Deeths and Bneeden2 in 1971, ingestion of hydrocarbons was reported to be the second most common cause of admission to hospital for accidental poisoning in each of the years from 1962 to 1968. In the United States from 1951 through 1958, 763 people died following accidental ingestion of petroleum distillate and children under 5 years of age accounted for about 90% (680 of 760) of these deaths.3 However, statistics reveal a decreased mortality rate, with only nine hydrocarbon fatalities reported in 1972 for this same age group.1

Although a wide variety of hydrocarbons are involved in the accidental poisonings reported, most related publications have dealt with kerosene intoxication. The incidence rate and the mortality rate from kenosene ingestion is decreasing, although it continues to be a major problem in the United States. For children less than 5 years of age in 1972, there were 579 reported cases of kerosene ingestion of which two were fatal.1




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