A Report of Acute Ethanol Poisoning in a Child: Mouthwash Versus Cologne, Perfume and Aftershave

Abstract

The ingestion of ethanol-containing products, such as cologne, perfume and after-shave, in children under six years of age is common, but serious poisoning is rarely reported. Thus, it has been recently suggested that children ingesting up to 3.5 ounces of these products may be safely observed at home as long as they remain asymptomatic. While it may be assumed that products with a significantly lower alcohol content represent a much smaller poisoning hazard, mouthwashes are a relatively frequent cause of serious poisoning in children. In the following case report, 75 milliliters of mouthwash caused hypoglycemia, coma and manifestations of tonic seizure activity. Because of the palatable nature of mouthwash, wine and liquor, it appears that children are more apt to drink large quantities, consuming dangerous amounts of ethanol. The apparent safety of cologne, perfume, and after-shave may be due to a lack of palatability as well as the irritant nature of high concentrations of ethanol. This case suggests that consumer items such as mouthwash should be packaged in child-resistant containers.

KEY WORDS:

• ethanol
• poisoning
• human
• hypoglycemia
• children