Paraffin a threat to youngsters

Being left alone for a few moments was enough for Karabo Malepe (3) to stack some furniture up against a cupboard to reach the two-litre cold drink bottle on the shelf. She thought that she was about to drink Sprite.

Her mother and grandmother were close by but did not see her drinking from the bottle, they only saw her running for a tap to drink water. She told her mother, Tebogo Malepe that her mouth felt on fire from the cold drink that she drank. She showed them the bottle that was lying on the ground.

How much she had ingested was not known. Her mother rushed her to Dilakong Hospital.
She was immediately put on a drip, doctors pumped her stomach and she was put on oxygen to prevent damage to her lungs. She was in hospital for eight days.

After being discharged on Tuesday, Tebogo was given strict instructions of what the toddler was allowed to eat and what to avoid.

“While we were in hospital two other children were admitted also for drinking paraffin,” Malepe told the newspaper.

According to her this is not uncommon in household to store paraffin in cold drink bottles.
After her ordeal little Karabo is smiling again and recovering. A media relations spokesman for the Limpopo

Department of Health and Safety, Nelly Shikwamambana said they are not aware of any data kept on the specific case of child poisonings with paraffin, but they will look into the matter

A study done in Cape Town (2007) by the World Health Organisation about paraffin-related injuries under low-income South African communities, showed that 17 per cent of child deaths happen due to paraffin related incidents.

Dove Med, an international website wrote an article on paraffin poisoning and how a patient should be treated in such an emergency scenario. They make the following points:
• Call the 911 emergency help number immediately.
• Call the Poison Control Centre for further instructions (086-1555-777).
• Unless instructed by a health-care professional, do not induce vomiting in the affected individual.
• Following ingestion of the substance, immediately give water to drink.
• In case of symptoms that indicate difficulty in swallowing including vomiting or decreased alertness, do not give anything by way of mouth.
• Take individual to the emergency room for further treatment.
• Always try to take the compound bottle/container to the ER.
Sourse: www.dovemed.com