Accidental paraffin poisoning in Kenyan children.
A serious and common accident in rural Kenyan homesteads is accidental ingestion of paraffin when it has been mistaken for water and offered to a young child. Here we report the incidence, parental practices and outcome of severe paraffin poisoning, requiring admission at Kilifi District Hospital, Kenya. Over a 2-year period, 48 children (0.5% of all admissions) were admitted with kerosene poisoning, constituting 62% of all poisoning cases. All cases were accidental. Ten per cent had induced vomiting. One child (2%) died. We suggest these data support assessment followed by implementation of practical and affordable measures to prevent paraffin poisoning.
Lang
T
T
Kemri-Wellcome Trust Programme, Kilifi, Kenya. tlang@kilifi.kemri-wellcome.org
Thuo
N
N
Akech
S
S
D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D007648:Kerosene / Q000506:poisoning*; D008297:Male; D010232:Paraffin / Q000506:poisoning*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies
D007648:Kerosene; D010232:Paraffin