Lipoid pneumonia due to Mexican folk remedies: cultural barriers to diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE
To describe 2 cases of lipoid pneumonia in Mexican American infants after administration of vegetable- or animal-derived oils and the cultural barriers to diagnosis. Various folk remedies have been documented in the international medical literature that involve the oral or nasal administration of vegetable- or animal-derived oils to children for the treatment of common ailments, including nasal stuffiness, constipation, and colic. Lipoid pneumonia is a known complication of such practices in Mexico, India, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.


METHODS
Case reports of 2 Mexican American infants with respiratory distress and interviews with 30 immigrant families of Mexican origin.


RESULTS
In both cases, language and cultural barriers resulted in a delayed diagnosis of lipoid pneumonia. Interviews with immigrant families confirmed that oil administration to children is a common traditional therapy in Mexican cultures.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings underscore the need for primary care providers to be aware of the traditional practice of oil administration to infants in many cultures, its pathophysiological consequences, the potential cultural barriers to timely diagnosis, and the opportunity to prevent cases of lipoid pneumonia through anticipatory guidance.
Hoffman
Lucas R
LR
Department of Pediatrics and Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA. lhoffm@u.washington.edu
Yen
Elizabeth H
EH
Kanne
Jeffrey P
JP
Effmann
Eric L
EL
Gibson
Ronald L
RL
Van Niel
Cornelius W
CW
D001999:Bronchoscopy; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011017:Pneumonia, Lipid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D010938:Plant Oils