Kerosene Ingestion Management in Children
For a stable child presenting after kerosene ingestion, the primary diagnostic and monitoring step is assessing potential complications, particularly aspiration pneumonitis.
Recommended Management Measure
- Radiography: A chest X-ray (radiography) is recommended. It helps detect early signs of aspiration and chemical pneumonitis, even in a clinically stable child, as complications can be delayed.
Rationale for Other Options
- Gastric lavage: Generally contraindicated in hydrocarbon ingestions like kerosene, especially when the patient is stable and significant time (40 minutes) has passed. The risk of aspiration during lavage outweighs potential benefits.
- Oxygen therapy: This is a supportive measure used if respiratory distress occurs, but it is not the initial diagnostic or management step for a stable patient.
- Intravenous steroids: Steroids are typically not recommended for managing hydrocarbon pneumonitis.
Important Questions from Childhood Injuries and Poisoning
- Consider the following pairs :How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?
Urine colour Possible causative agent in a child with suspected poisoning 1. Pink - Cephalosporin 2. Brown - Chloroquine 3. Greenish blue - Phenazopyridine 4. Red-orange - Amitriptyline - In case of a child with an acute poisoning by ingestion, activated charcoal may be used in which one of the following situations?
- After sustaining a head injury, an 18 month old child displays eye opening only to pain, moans on painful stimuli and withdraws to painful stimuli. What is the modified Glasgow Coma Scale Score in this child ?
An 8 year old child has consumed a few tablets of a drug that were being taken by his motheron a regular basis. Following this the child develops gastric necrosis, acidosis, shock and hepatic necrosis. Which is the most likely drug?
In a child with acute organophosphorus poisoning, which one of the following drugs will act as anti-sialogogue and peripheral parasympatholytic agent?
