Her family immediately induced vomiting, which caused the toxic substance to enter her airway and led to respiratory failure.
At the Emergency Department of Cam Khe Regional Medical Center, doctors diagnosed the child with pneumonia due to inhaling lamp oil, complicated by respiratory failure. The medical team administered fluids and treated her according to protocol.
Doctor Nguyen Duy Long, who directly treated the patient, said respiratory failure is the most dangerous complication and the leading cause of death when children mistakenly drink lamp oil. Managing this situation is entirely different from handling typical poisonings.
Families should absolutely not induce vomiting or try to remove the substance from the throat. Lamp oil is a volatile hydrocarbon with low surface tension, making it easy to enter the airway during ingestion or induced vomiting. Once in the lungs, the oil spreads rapidly, causing mucosal damage, pneumonia, lung collapse, and potentially lung tissue necrosis.
The child's health has now stabilized, and she continues to receive treatment at the hospital.
Doctors warn that poisoning from accidentally ingesting chemicals, gasoline, medicine, and other substances is a dangerous household accident, common among young children. To prevent similar incidents, parents should absolutely avoid inducing vomiting or removing the substance from the throat if a child ingests gasoline, corrosive substances, or cleaning solutions. They should quickly take the child to a medical facility for emergency treatment.
Store chemicals, lamp oil, and medicine out of reach of children, never leaving them in areas accessible to them. Do not use food containers to store chemicals to avoid the risk of confusion. Regularly check and remove dangerous items like knives, sharp objects, and small, swallowable objects. Supervise children constantly, never leaving them to play alone, especially in high-risk areas like near the stove, balcony, or stairs.
Adults should proactively create a safe and healthy living environment to protect children's health, especially those under 5.
Thuy Quynh
