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Accidental nicotine liquid ingestion: emerging paediatric problem, say experts
11 September, 2014
Seven children a day swallow liquid nicotine from e-cigarette refills, prompting doctors to call for greater regulation. By Lizzie Parry. dailymail.co.uk. September 08, 2014.
- Around seven children a day accidentally swallow liquid nicotine from e-cigarette refills, scientists have revealed
- Toddlers are at risk of dying if they are poisoned by the refill cartridges
- Study comes as two-year-old was rushed to the Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham and nearly died after swallowing nicotine from a device
Around seven children a day accidentally swallow liquid nicotine from e-cigarette refills, a new study has found.Toddlers and young children are at risk of dying if poisoned by the refill cartridges, unless designs and safety rules are changed, doctors have today warned.
Around seven children a day accidentally swallow liquid nicotine from e-cigarette refills, a new study has today revealed
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2748206/Seven-children-day-swallow-liquid-nicotine-e-cigarette-refills-prompting-doctors-call-greater-regulation.html#ixzz3D0vxOJnh
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on FacebookSevere nicotine poisoning can cause dangerous irregular heartbeat, coma, convulsions, confusion and dizziness as well as prompting the heart to stop pumping blood around the body causing cardiac arrest. Nicotine can be lethal in adults at doses as low as 40 mg, with the threshold for children likely to be much lower at around 1mg per kg of weight.Yet nicotine cartridge refills are available in various strengths, ranging from 6 mg/l (0.6 per cent) to 36 mg/l (3.6 per cent), and at the higher strength, just a few drops could have serious side effects in a child under five.The warning came after a toddler was rushed to casualty at the Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham and nearly dying after swallowing nicotine from a device.The two-year-old vomited after picking up a cartridge containing the chemical and putting it in her mouth.The child was given the all-clear after being monitored for several hours. Figures released by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this year showed a ‘massive rise’ in calls to poison centres related to accidental swallowing of liquid nicotine contained in e-cigarette refill cartridges.These rose from one in September 2010 to 215 a month by February 2014 with more than half the calls involved children under the age of five.Dr Sanjay Gupta, who treated the child at Good Hope in March, urged parents to be careful with the refills. He also called for more legislation around the safety of e-cigarettes, in a letter to publication Archives of Disease in Childhood.
It comes as it emerged a two-year-old was rushed to the Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham and nearly died after swallowing nicotine from a device. Doctors have called for increased safety regulation of e-cigarettes
The consultant said: ‘Our case highlights an important emerging issue related to the use of increasingly popular e-cigarettes. ‘The exploratory nature of young children and the attractive packaging of refills is a dangerous combination likely to lead to a growing incidence of accidental exposure to concentrated nicotine solution.’We don’t want to see children die from this, but there is a possibility that they could depending on the concentration of the liquid and the size of the child.’In the worst case scenario it could kill a very small child who ingests the substance.’Two or three drops are enough to cause palpitations, vomiting, dizziness and high blood pressure.’Dr Gupta said the girl’s case was the first of its kind seen at Good Hope.
But he said he had researched several incidents of adults needing medical treatment over similar alerts.’Some refills have screw-cap type lids and others simply snap into the e-cigarette and are a lot safer,’ he said.’It is the screw-cap type, which are dangerous and the risk has grown because there are so many products like this being developed by companies.’What started out as a beneficial thing has now turned into a risk for children.’It can be quite a concentrated solution and there needs to be more awareness around it. These refills, which are in colourful attractive packaging, need to be kept away from children. ‘The risk posed by nicotine liquid to children needs to be recognised, acknowledged and acted upon by all. This includes public education and legislation to improve the safety profile of e-liquid containers.’ Birmingham Director of Public Health, Dr Adrian Phillips, said: ‘E-cigarettes are a new product and, while they are undoubtedly less harmful than traditional cigarettes, they are not without risks.’This report clearly highlights the need for regulation and more needs to be done to protect children and young people.’ The study was published in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Journal reference: Sanjay Gupta, Anjum Gandhi, Ravi Manikonda. Accidental nicotine liquid ingestion: emerging paediatric problem. Arch Dis Child doi:10.1136/archdischild-2014-306750
Around seven children a day accidentally swallow liquid nicotine from e-cigarette refills, a new study has today revealedRead more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2748206/Seven-children-day-swallow-liquid-nicotine-e-cigarette-refills-prompting-doctors-call-greater-regulation.html#ixzz3D0vxOJnh
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on FacebookSevere nicotine poisoning can cause dangerous irregular heartbeat, coma, convulsions, confusion and dizziness as well as prompting the heart to stop pumping blood around the body causing cardiac arrest. Nicotine can be lethal in adults at doses as low as 40 mg, with the threshold for children likely to be much lower at around 1mg per kg of weight.Yet nicotine cartridge refills are available in various strengths, ranging from 6 mg/l (0.6 per cent) to 36 mg/l (3.6 per cent), and at the higher strength, just a few drops could have serious side effects in a child under five.The warning came after a toddler was rushed to casualty at the Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham and nearly dying after swallowing nicotine from a device.The two-year-old vomited after picking up a cartridge containing the chemical and putting it in her mouth.The child was given the all-clear after being monitored for several hours. Figures released by the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this year showed a ‘massive rise’ in calls to poison centres related to accidental swallowing of liquid nicotine contained in e-cigarette refill cartridges.These rose from one in September 2010 to 215 a month by February 2014 with more than half the calls involved children under the age of five.Dr Sanjay Gupta, who treated the child at Good Hope in March, urged parents to be careful with the refills. He also called for more legislation around the safety of e-cigarettes, in a letter to publication Archives of Disease in Childhood.
It comes as it emerged a two-year-old was rushed to the Good Hope Hospital in Birmingham and nearly died after swallowing nicotine from a device. Doctors have called for increased safety regulation of e-cigarettesThe consultant said: ‘Our case highlights an important emerging issue related to the use of increasingly popular e-cigarettes. ‘The exploratory nature of young children and the attractive packaging of refills is a dangerous combination likely to lead to a growing incidence of accidental exposure to concentrated nicotine solution.’We don’t want to see children die from this, but there is a possibility that they could depending on the concentration of the liquid and the size of the child.’In the worst case scenario it could kill a very small child who ingests the substance.’Two or three drops are enough to cause palpitations, vomiting, dizziness and high blood pressure.’Dr Gupta said the girl’s case was the first of its kind seen at Good Hope.
But he said he had researched several incidents of adults needing medical treatment over similar alerts.’Some refills have screw-cap type lids and others simply snap into the e-cigarette and are a lot safer,’ he said.’It is the screw-cap type, which are dangerous and the risk has grown because there are so many products like this being developed by companies.’What started out as a beneficial thing has now turned into a risk for children.’It can be quite a concentrated solution and there needs to be more awareness around it. These refills, which are in colourful attractive packaging, need to be kept away from children. ‘The risk posed by nicotine liquid to children needs to be recognised, acknowledged and acted upon by all. This includes public education and legislation to improve the safety profile of e-liquid containers.’ Birmingham Director of Public Health, Dr Adrian Phillips, said: ‘E-cigarettes are a new product and, while they are undoubtedly less harmful than traditional cigarettes, they are not without risks.’This report clearly highlights the need for regulation and more needs to be done to protect children and young people.’ The study was published in Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Journal reference: Sanjay Gupta, Anjum Gandhi, Ravi Manikonda. Accidental nicotine liquid ingestion: emerging paediatric problem. Arch Dis Child doi:10.1136/archdischild-2014-306750