Bahrain Medical Bulletin, Vol

Kerosene ingestion is the most common form of acute childhood poisoning in most developing countries. In Saudi Arabia, it accounts for 25% of accidental home poisoning'. It is largely confined to the age group 1-5 years-. In one study from Riyadh', 80% of the cases from outskirts of Riyadh where people live in tents or mud houses, kerosene is used for cooking and lighting purposes. The majority of families belong to the lower socioeconomic class and in 80% of cases, the kitchen was the place for the storage of kerosene, and it is stored into open 'pop' bottles which are familiar to the child as holder of pleasant drinks. In approximately 33% of cases developed no symptoms. Cough was the most common symptoms in 36% and central nervous systems manifested by drowsiness in 10%, abdominal symptoms in 41%. Death may develop in the seriously ill children in 1-3°/03-6. His abdomen was distended with generalized tenderness but normal bowel sound. He was conscious with no focal neurological deficit, the rest of physical examination was within normal limit. The patient was admitted to the hospital and was given intravenous (IV) fluids and IV cefuroxime and amikacin for two weeks. Initial chest x-ray showed bilateral pneumonia of both right middle (RML), right lower lobe (RLL), left lower lobe (LLL) and Lingula (Fig 1).