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Case Reports
. 2001 Mar;6(3):129-31.
doi: 10.1093/pch/6.3.129.

First do no harm: The dangers of mineral oil

M Weinstein  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

First do no harm: The dangers of mineral oil

M Weinstein. Paediatr Child Health. 2001 Mar.

Abstract
in English, French

Chronic constipation is a very common problem in the paediatric population, and a particularly frequent issue in the management of neurologically impaired children. The use of mineral oil in the treatment of constipation has been well accepted because of its efficacy and infrequent side effects. The case of a three and a half-year-old girl with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, who was admitted to hospital for investigation of increasing tachypnea and respiratory distress over a two-month period, is presented. This case highlights lipoid pneumonia due to mineral oil aspiration, which is a recognized severe complication of this medication, and emphasizes the need for a heightened awareness among caregivers about the potential dangers of inappropriate mineral oil use.

La constipation chronique est un problème très fréquent au sein de la population pédiatrique, et elle est encore plus courante chez les enfants ayant une atteinte neurologique. L’huile minérale est bien acceptée pour traiter la constipation en raison de son efficacité et de la rareté des effets secondaires. On présente le cas d’une fillette de trois ans et demi atteinte de paralysie cérébrale accompagnée de quadriplégie spastique, admise à l’hôpital afin d’explorer une tachypnée et une détresse respiratoire croissantes au cours d’une période de deux mois. Ce cas étaye la possibilité de pneumonie huileuse secondaire à l’aspiration d’huile minérale, une complication grave et reconnue de ce médicament, et fait ressortir le besoin de mieux sensibiliser les dispensateurs de soins aux dangers potentiels d’un usage inopportun de l’huile minérale.

Keywords: Cerebral palsy; Constipation; Mineral oil; Neurologically impaired children.

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Figures

Figure 1)
Figure 1)
Photograph of patient’s hand showing digital clubbing
Figure 2)
Figure 2)
X-ray showing diffuse airspace disease with relative left upper lobe sparing
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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