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Characteristics of hand sanitizer ingestions by adolescents reported to poison centers

  • Mathias B. Forrester EMAIL logo
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 31. Mai 2014
International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health
Aus der Zeitschrift International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health Band 27 Heft 1

Abstract

Background: There had been reports of adolescents using hand sanitizers to obtain alcohol and ending up in emergency departments with alcohol poisoning.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the pattern of adolescent ingestions of hand sanitizers reported to a statewide poison center system.

Subjects: Our study subjects included patients aged 13–19 years who reported hand sanitizer ingestions as reported to Texas poison centers during 2000–2013.

Materials and methods: The distribution of the ingestions was determined for various demographic and clinical factors.

Results: Of 385 total cases, 61% of the patients were male, and the mean age was 15.3 years. The ingestion reason was unintentional (61%), intentional abuse/misuse (18%), and malicious (10%). Ingestion site was most frequently reported to be the patient’s own residence (53%), followed by school (35%). About 77% of the patients were managed on site. The medical outcome was serious (moderate effect or unable to follow-potentially toxic) in 5% of the cases. The most frequently reported adverse clinical effects were vomiting (5%), abdominal pain (4%), nausea (4%), throat irritation (4%), and drowsiness (2%).

Conclusion: Adolescents who ingested hand sanitizers were more likely to be male and younger. One-third of the ingestions occurred at school, suggesting that school personnel might be made aware of the potential problem of hand sanitizer ingestions by adolescents. Nevertheless, despite the potential for serious outcomes from adolescent hand sanitizer ingestion, most of the ingestions reported to poison centers are not likely to be serious and can be successfully managed outside of a healthcare facility.

Keywords: alcohol; ethanol; hand sanitizers; poison center
Corresponding author: Mathias B. Forrester, BS, Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit, Texas Department of State Health Services, 1100 W 49th Street, Austin, TX 78756, USA, Phone: +1-512-776-7111, Fax: +1-512-776-7689, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

There was no study sponsor or unique source of support.

Conflict of interest statement

The author is aware of no conflict of interest.

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Received: 2014-3-1
Accepted: 2014-4-17
Published Online: 2014-5-31
Published in Print: 2015-2-1

©2015 by De Gruyter

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https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2014-0014
Schlagwörter für diesen Artikel
alcohol; ethanol; hand sanitizers; poison center

Artikel in diesem Heft

  1. 10.1515/ijamh-2015-frontmatter1
  2. Editorial
  3. Pregnant, even when you did not want to be pregnant
  4. Original articles
  5. How adolescents learn about risk perception and behavior in regards to alcohol use in light of social learning theory: a qualitative study in Bogotá, Colombia
  6. An assessment of basic nutrition knowledge of adolescents with eating disorders and their parents
  7. More than a break: the impact of a social-pedagogical intervention during young persons’ long-term hospital admission – a qualitative study
  8. Effect of external classroom noise on schoolchildren’s reading and mathematics performance: correlation of noise levels and gender
  9. Physical self-esteem – a ten-year follow-up study from early adolescence to early adulthood
  10. Street hawking among in-school adolescents in a south-western town in Nigeria: pattern, determinants and effects on school performance
  11. Outcome of adolescents with eating disorders from an adolescent medicine service at a large children’s hospital
  12. Female adolescents’ perspective about reproductive health education needs: a mixed methods study with explanatory sequential design
  13. Study of menstrual patterns in adolescent girls with disabilities in a residential institution
  14. Characteristics of hand sanitizer ingestions by adolescents reported to poison centers
  15. Health care providers and adolescents’ perspectives towards adolescents’ health education needs: a need assessment based on comparative approach
  16. Determinants of abortion decisions among Ghanaian university students
  17. Predictors of peer victimization among Peruvian adolescents in the young lives cohort
  18. Risk of eating disorders among university students in Bangladesh
  19. Short Communication
  20. Nutrition and physical activity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood: further research is warranted
  21. Letter
  22. Losing lives to the peril of ragging
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