Profile and Outcome of Childhood Hydrocarbon Poisoning: An Observational Study

Background: Accidental poisoning, though preventable, has continued to be one of the most prevalent medical emergencies among children in developing countries. Objective: To describe the clinico-demographic profile and outcome of children with hydrocarbon poisoning at a tertiary care teaching hospital from Eastern India. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the hospital case records of all children <15 years of age admitted with hydrocarbon poisoning from January 2015 to October 2018 was performed. Results: Out of 2658 total admissions, 21 children were admitted with hydrocarbon poisoning during the study period. The median age was 2.6 years (range, 1 to 14 years). Majorities (76%) were <5 years of age. The male/female ratio was 5:2. The majority belonged to rural areas (80.9%) and low socioeconomic status (71.4%). In all the cases, poisoning was accidental in nature. Kerosene (71.4%) and turpentine oil (24%) were the most common agents implicated. Majorities (95.3%) were symptomatic requiring hospitalization. Fever and vomiting were the most commonly observed symptoms (57%). Neutrophilic leucocytosis was observed in 62% of cases. Abnormal chest radiography was observed in 67% of cases. There was no mortality. Conclusions: The majority of the children with hydrocarbon poisoning are under five years of age with the accidental mode of poisoning in the current study. Kerosene was the most common agent. The outcome was excellent without any mortality.