Kaniza Garari
IndiGlobal Media Network
Misuse of hand sanitizers for a kick, suicide, and addiction is now being noted in the community. Hand Sanitizers containing methanol which is not a listed ingredient are leading to poisoning.
Worldwide, more than 3,000 deaths have been reported due to the drinking of hand sanitizers. In India, hospitals are now seeing young teenagers, adults suffering from addiction, report conditions of methanol poisoning.
These are being noted as hand sanitizers are handy and easily available over the counter. With the sanitizers being manufactured without following the proper combinations and no regulatory checks – they have now become an easy mode for abuse and misuse.
Clinicians across the world have reported hand-sanitizer poisoning. American Association of Poison Control Centers has reported 1000 cases.
South-East Asian Countries have reported about 2000 cases which are now being presented in research papers for physicians to identify the symptoms and begin early treatment.
A recent case from a rural area of Maharashtra which was treated in Hyderabad reveals: 16-year-old female tried to commit suicide by drinking hand sanitizer. She was treated for two days in a local hospital in Maharashtra but slipped into a coma and was rushed to Hyderabad. She had a severe acid pile up in the body and despite flushing the liquid out of the body there was no respite. She continued to be in coma and hemodialysis was carried out twice to remove the acid load from the body.
She slowly recovered and was discharged. But after five days returned to the hospital as her speech was slurry and could not walk. On diagnosis, it was found swelling in the brain which was affecting the nervous system.
This case made the doctor’s team track the hand sanitizer and it was found to have methanol.
Dr Abhinay H, a neurologist at SLG Hospitals in Hyderabad says, “Methanol is not a listed ingredient. It is used as is cheaply available. But those who ingest it suffer from a severe problem in the nervous system. There is damage to the optic nerve, blurred or complete loss of vision, loss of coordination, decreased level of consciousness, and seizures.”
A multi-disciplinary team of consultant physician Dr Aarthi Bellary, kidney specialist Dr Vijay Varma, Intensive Care Unit team Dr Suhasini T treated the patient.
If not treated on time, methanol poisoning can be fatal. Survivors take a long time to recover and some of them may suffer from permanent damage like loss of vision or Parkinson’s symptoms:
- Slow movement
- Stiffness in the body
- Impaired balance and co-ordination
Labels of Hand-Sanitizers being FDA approved:
Food and Drug Administration states that they have not approved any of the Hand-Sanitizers in the market.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers containing 60 percent ethyl alcohol (ethanol) or 70 percent isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol).
Methanol is not an acceptable ingredient due to its toxic effects. Despite that, the use is rampant worldwide and so is the misuse.
