Ingestion of bar soap may produce serious injury: clinical effects and risk factors

Abstract

Introduction: Most household and body soaps have an alkaline pH (9-12). In addition to their foaming effect, they irritate the skin. This study aims to review soap exposure reported to the Angers Poison Control Centre.

Method: A retrospective study of accidental or deliberate oral exposure to solid soaps reported to the Angers Poison Control Centre between 1 January 2000 and 1 April 2015. Poisoning severity was reassessed for each case according to the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS).

Results: 553 cases of exposure were recorded. In more than 40% of cases (n = 226), exposure occurred in community settings (retirement homes, nursing homes). Patients had a history of dementia in 220 cases (40%). The most common symptoms were labial oedema (28%, n = 153), oropharyngeal irritation (10%, n = 56), salivation (10%, n = 53), vomiting (9%, n = 48) and cough (8%, n = 45). Among symptomatic patients (n = 276), one patient died from aspiration pneumonia and one patient died from a cardiogenic shock following oropharyngeal oedema, vomiting, cough and bronchial obstruction. Patients with dementia were more often symptomatic (75% vs 34%, p < .001) and more frequently hospitalised (22% vs 0.8%, p < .001). They experienced more moderate to severe symptoms (8% vs 0%, p < .001). Mildly severe (PSS2, n = 14), highly severe (PSS3, n = 1) and fatal (PSS4, n = 2) poisoning were observed only in patients with dementia.

Conclusion: Ingestion of soap bars is potentially serious, especially in patients with dementia. This type of soap should not be available to them in community settings and close monitoring should be considered in the event of oral exposure.

Keywords: Dementia; cleansers; poison centre; poisoning; soap.