[Accidental poisoning by volatile hydrocarbons in children (apropos of 57 cases)]

Abstract

Most of the accidentally intoxicated children who are admitted into hospital have swallowed volatile hydrocarbons. The ingested products are either aliphatic hydrocarbons, whether white spirit or petrol, or aromatic hydrocarbons. We have collected informations upon 57 children admitted into the pediatric department of The American Memorial Hospital in Reims, from 1973 to 1982. The children's average age is 24 months and they have usually swallowed very small amounts of the products. Early clinical manifestations involve mainly respiratory and digestive systems, while the most frequent manifestation is high fever. The early roentgenologic manifestations have a predominantly alveolar pattern which is to be found in the lower lobes. The appearance of pneumatoceles is the typical roentgenologic disturbance. The recovery is usually complete. Hydrocarbons directly reach the lungs down the respiratory tract-even without the children's swallowing down the wrong tract-owing to the physical characteristics of those products. That accounts for any gastric lavage being both unnecessary and dangerous.